Worlds Away
by CheleSedai
Summary: The Tomorrow People are swept away to a different world, where they will lead very different lives and struggle to find their way home.
1. Chapter One

Title: Worlds Away  
Author: M. Bumbarger  
Email: [Worlds Away 2001][1]  
Fandom: New Series Tomorrow People  
Rating: PG-13/TV-14  
Summary: The Tomorrow People are swept away to a different world, where they must take up the lives of their alter-egos and try to find their way home . . . which won't be easy.  
Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People (Adam Newman, Ami Jackson, Megabyte Damon, and Jade Weston) are the property of Roger Damon Price, Thames Television, ITV, Tetra Television and Nickelodeon. They are used here without permission, but not for profit. The lands, countries, customs, deities, and original characters are mine and mine only, springing from the depths of my imagination and should not be used anywhere else without my permission. Please do not repost this to any list or archive it anywhere else without my express permission.

* * *

### **Chapter One**

Adam opened his eyes slowly, blinking into the brightness that pierced his pupils. He felt as though he were swimming upwards, fighting against a haze and fog that continued to threatened to overwhelm him and wash him away into the solitude and healing comfort of endless slumber. As he struggled to full wakefulness, he became aware of the steady, throbbing pain in his head. His body ached all over; he literally felt as though he'd been pulled through a meat grinder and put back together. And he hadn't been put back together very well.

He lifted himself cautiously to a sitting position. As he did so, vague and hazy memories flooded his awareness. The island . . . the beach . . . watching a storm front like nothing he had ever seen before rolling across the far too still waves . . . and the colorless and noiseless void that tore him limb from limb starting on the inside. The memory of the void was enough to unsteady him and he clutched his stomach. It rolled and heaved, but did not result in sickness. A few deep and steadying breaths and he had control of himself again. For the moment, at least.

"Whoa, cousin. Whatever that was, I'm going to suggest that you not do it again." An unfamiliar voice pierced his awareness, strong hands gripping him beneath the arms and dragging him to his feet. "As long as we're on the subject, however, what was that?"

As he was pulled to his feet, he took a moment to take in his surroundings — and felt his head swim yet again, this time in confusion. Where once there had been sand and open space for as far as the eye could see, there now stood the thick trees of a tame wood. None of the others were nearby, but rather, he was being lifted from lying prone upon his back very near the hooves of a horse. 

"I don't know," Adam answered honestly, turning slowly to face the stranger. It was a man only a few years older than himself, with sandy blonde hair and dark eyes that screamed of mischief. "Who — where am I?"

The man immediately shook his head, his mouth turning up into a smile. "Very funny, Adam. Well, that settles it then," he paused and clapped Adam — roughly — on the shoulder, "You're quite all right if you're up to your usual humor."

"I'm not—" Adam stopped in mid-protest as realization dawned on him. This man knew him — or thought that he did. He had called him Adam. More than that, however, were the details that Adam's eyes were beginning to take in. The man standing with him in the wood looked precisely how he would expect a medieval rider to look. He was dressed in leathers and knee breeches, high riding boots on his feet. A horse pranced behind him, the bridle and saddle looking far older than anything Adam had ever seen. A quick glance revealed to Adam that he was dressed in much the same fashion, as was the horse he stood beside. 

As a chill, one that was not caused by the cool wind, enveloped his body, Adam decided to stay quiet and take stock of the situation. Better to err on the side of caution until he discovered the depths of the danger of the situation.

More importantly, until he could figure out where he was, how he arrived, and precisely how far from home he was.

"I'm fine," Adam finished lamely, rubbing the back of his head. Whatever else had happened when the flash of light hit, he must have hit his head. He could feel the beginnings of a hard knot developing at the base of his skull.

"Good," the man nodded after a moment of weighing Adam with his eyes. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you? That spell — it didn't hurt you when it misfired?"

"Spell?" Adam choked on the word before he could stop himself. This man was talking to him about a spell — and Adam could only assume he was referring to magic and not the weather conditions. That made even less sense than finding himself in a strange wood with a strange man whom didn't seem to think that Adam was a stranger at all. A strange man who didn't realize that anything extraordinary had occurred. 

The man rolled his eyes. "Right, I forgot. You don't like to talk about the ones you don't get right. Suit yourself, although that fragile ego of yours is going to cause you more than a cracked skull one of these days." Hoisting himself up on his horse, he gave Adam an impatient glare. "Well, don't you think we've tarried long enough? We can't keep your father waiting forever, you know."

In for a penny, in for a pound, Adam mused to himself as he turned to look towards the other horse, which he assumed to be his. This was either a dream, or he had truly been somehow displaced in time, but standing around this wood wasn't going to answer his questions.

He swung himself into the saddle, grateful that he remembered some skills from his days of riding at his grandmother's ranch. At least he would appear to be whomever — or whatever — this man thought that he was. "Lead on, MacDuff."

The man smiled and chuckled, spurring his horse to a slow trot. "You're a strange bird, cousin."

You don't know the half of it, Adam thought as he followed the other man's lead.

******

Adam rode silently beside the still unnamed man, his mind going in continual circles. During his time as a Tomorrow Person he had some strange experiences, but this one seemed to be the strangest of all. If he wasn't dreaming — and he still wasn't entirely convinced that he wasn't — then he had been somehow transported to a different world, or transported back through time. It was a world and time when he was still Adam — he was still called Adam — but there was the possibility that he was not the Adam Newman he had known himself to be his entire life. But considering that he also was no longer living the life he had been living, that made an odd bit of sense. After finding himself unable to contact the others telepathically, although he swore he could sense Megabyte and Jade on the very fringes of his mind, he decided to simply "go with the flow" as Megabyte would say. Or as the American would have said, had he been present. 

If it was dream, he would wake up soon. If it was not a dream . . . well, Adam would cross that bridge when he came to it.

In the meantime, he took in all of the details of his surroundings. They rode through a wood, and while it was a tame wood, it was not a modern wood. This was the type of wood where animals still lived and bred, the type of wood that survivalist types looked for because it had not been touched by the ravages of the modern world. There was no 'riding path' as would be found on his world, but his companion navigated the undergrowth with ease. 

"Why did my father send for me?" Adam asked, drawing his horse up closer to the other man's.

The man spared him a quick glance. "As if he told me. If he told me what he wanted, there wouldn't be any reason for you to see him, would there?"

"I thought you might at least have an idea."

"Well, without King Palgar scratching at our borders, it can't be war. That leaves only one thing that it can be." The man gave Adam a smile that he sensed was supposed to be roguish and teasing, but caught in unfamiliar territory, Adam truly didn't know what he was being teased about.

"And that would be?"

"Your father received a missive just this morning from Albarasque. A courier from the Sun Palace came flocked by an honor guard and delivered the scroll directly into your father's hands." The man looked over both shoulders, as though he was guarding his words, although the well-tended path was clear in every direction. Still he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "It is supposed to be a secret. No one in the kingdom is supposed to know of the courier, but I have my ways, few secrets are kept from me.

"Speculation would say that it includes the Damia's 'requests' for the wedding celebration. And your father will of course adhere to every word and letter of that missive. After all, it isn't every day that two of the most powerful kingdoms this side of the Spire Mountains are united by treaty and marriage."

Adam stopped riding. The action was not intentional, but rather reflexive. As though it was not strange enough that he was not in an unusual place with a strange man, his confused mind was able to put two and two together very quickly. He was getting married. Well, not him precisely, but whomever he was supposed to be in this place.

"I'm getting married." Adam spoke aloud although he didn't intend to.

From the look that passed across his companion's face, it was clear that his words were taken as sarcasm or a joke. "And have been for the last three years. I thought you had acclimated yourself to this idea by now." The man grinned, a teasing and sly smile if Adam had ever seen one, "Besides, just because the crown heir of Albarasque has been hidden from sight her entire life doesn't mean she's as ugly as speculation implies." 

"Crown heir?" The words dropped from Adam's lips as his eyes flew to the other man's. He couldn't have heard that right.

The man shook his head, "Now, you're merely playing at foolishness." With a laugh, he spurred his horse to motion again, "Come along now, Your Highness. I think we've kept your father waiting long enough." Then, before Adam could utter another word, the man and his horse galloped off into the distance.

Unsuccessfully willing himself to wake up, Adam gave another sigh of resignation. Urging his horse ahead, he followed his companion and hoped that when they reached their destination he would have a few more answers.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][2]

   [1]: mailto:worldsaway2001@yahoo.com
   [2]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	2. Chapter Two

### **Chapter Two**

By the time Adam and his companion reached the Palace stables, he was a little more settled. Not a great deal more, but enough so that riding up to a spacious Palace didn't completely unnerve him; enough so that as he dismounted and handed the reins to the groom, he didn't stare in complete shock as the man addressed him as "Highness." He also managed to catch his companion's name as the groom nodded a greeting to "Lord Hagen."

He listened intently to the words that Hagen said as they made their way into the palace proper, hoping that the man would say something useful that might give him a hint of what was going on. He also tried to walk slowly without seeming to do so while he took in his surroundings.

The corridors they walked along were tiled, and the walls that were not covered with rich tapestries were also tiled with mosaics forming pictures. The mosaics told stories, of kings and queens, knights and lords, and Adam wished that he had time to slow and take it all in. There were windows, some of stained and colored glass, permitting the outside light to filter in and cast rainbow patterns across the floors and walls. Servants, liveried in violet and white, or white and gold, bustled around them, bowing and nodding as he and Hagen strolled casually past. As they passed a group of guards, clothed in rich burgundy and deep violet, with burnished gold breastplates, Adam suddenly felt a bit under dressed in the riding leathers. 

They came to a halt before a set of heavy, double doors, where a guard stood on each side. Dressed as splendidly as the other guards Adam and Hagen had passed, with swords sheathed at their sides and a hardness to their eyes that could only have come from years of doing what it was they did. There was no doubt in Adam's mind, he had entered into another world.

"Your Highness," one guard greeted him with a bow, the other a simple nod. "His Majesty has been waiting for you."

Nothing more was said, and Adam belatedly realized that he was supposed to speak. He smiled tightly and said, simply, "I'm here."

The guard smiled, "That you are, milord." Then turning, he opened the doors and a called out in a loud sonorous voice, "His Highness, the High Prince Adam Aldaric and His Lordship, Hagen of Loraig to the audience of His Majesty."

Adam blinked and stepped forward, hoping that those sort of announcements would not be given every time he entered a room. It would give him a complex very quickly, especially when he knew that he was not the High Prince Adam Aldaric. 

Hagen followed a step behind him, muttering about etiquette and decorum. They were words that Adam had to agree with — the announcement had been more than a little overdone.

The doors closed loudly behind them, and after flinching at the sound, Adam turned to look around the room they had been ushered into. It was not a great hall or any such chamber; there wasn't a throne in sight. Rather, it appeared to be a study of a sort. Several bookcases lined the walls, and a large, ornate desk decorated the far corner. There were a few arm chairs, and an additional table took up the center of the room. 

Behind the desk stood a man, bent in conversation with an older man. He apparently had ignored the announcement, but as the doors echoed soundly shut, his attention moved and he turned to look at Adam.

Adam felt his heart stop and his blood congeal. 

This could not be happening.

But it was.

The king was his father. Not in the sense that he had usurped the place of the true prince of this kingdom, but the king — the man wearing rich robes and speaking softly to an older man — was his father. He wore the face of the man Adam had not seen since he was a very small child. He had the dark, hard eyes that Adam knew only from old photographs, and the same nose that Adam saw every day in the mirror. He was more broad of shoulder, with a thick, dark and graying beard, the dark hair of his temples also streaked with gray. Small wrinkles curled near the corners of his eyes, and he was older than the man Adam recalled from photographs, but it was the man — or at least the mirror of the man — from whom Adam had received half of his genetic material.

Harsh, perhaps, but that was the only way that Adam could think of his father. He thought that he had grown accustomed to the painful absence of the man in his life; standing before this exact replica, he realized that he had not.

The man, his father, the king, looked up at their entry. Dark eyes raked over Adam, and he involuntarily flinched as he felt himself being weighed and measured . . . and falling up short. Disapproval flickered in the older man's eyes as he divided his attention between Adam and Hagen. Finally his eyes rested on Adam and he made a loud 'harumph' type sound.

Even the voice bore the familiar chill of memory, tearing open old scars. "I'm going to have to make it an edict, aren't I, Adam?"

At a loss, in more ways than one, Adam blinked and swallowed. He paused a moment, unsure of how to address this man who was his father — or his counterpart's father — but also the king. Did he call him Majesty? Should he have bowed upon entry? Did he call him Father? Dad? Poppa? 

Adam finally settled for a low murmured, "Make what an edict?" 

"Your appointment with the Master Tailor. Your riding clothes look worse than my rogue nephew's there," the dark eyes darted to Hagen with those words, and the young lord merely smirked as though those words were not only something he heard every day, but something he took pride in. "The Master Tailor, Adam. If you do not send for him on the morrow, then I shall do it myself. A few minutes of measurements and that's all that is required —"

"We'll do it tomorrow, Uncle. I'll take Adam there if I have to roll him in a canvas rug and toss him over my horse." Hagen winked at Adam as he said the words, and something about the young lord's smile made Adam wonder what precisely the joke was, because obviously he had missed it. 

The king lifted his eyebrows, staring at Hagen. He appeared to be on the verge of saying something, then shook his head dismissively and returned his attention to Adam, "If you do not go on the morrow, I will send word to Stewart and see that your are escorted there by an armed guard if necessary. 

"You are getting married in two months, Adam. Not only is your riding garb unfit to be worn for chasing squirrels, let's not speak of what is required for the royal hunt, I've heard tale that you still have not been properly fitted for your wedding clothes?"

Adam needed to take a step back. He needed to think, he needed to breathe, and if at all possible, he very much needed to wake up. He needed time to adjust, time to sort through odds and ends and bits and pieces, he needed to make sense of the madness. Right now, he was a fish out of water, and he didn't like the confusion. In less than an hour, he'd somehow become a prince and discovered that he was getting married. Well, his counterpart was getting married; hopefully in two months time, he would be home again. 

He realized the king was waiting for a response. He considered his words again, taking his cue from Hagen who showed no fear or dislike of the man before them. The man whom even in this world, Adam couldn't seem to please, but perhaps in this world, he was simply more accustomed to it.

"I'm sorry, Father. I forgot. Two months still seems pretty far away."

The king's response was the last thing Adam expected. His eyes flashed, and quite suddenly a bright smile broke out across his steely features. The smile even danced in his eyes as he laughed, deeply and loudly, reaching out and clapping Adam roughly on the shoulder. "I sometimes forget how frivolously youth spends time. Pretty far away, eh? Tell that to your mother. Tell that to the Damia Reina." 

Still smiling, the king took a rolled scroll from the older man with whom he had been speaking when Adam and Hagen entered. Adam was startled to realize the man was still there, as he stepped away and managed to fade nearly completely into the shadows. He unrolled the scroll, presenting both edges to Adam. "If this treaty were not so important, I would think say that this woman oversteps her bounds. As it is, in private counsel, I shall still say it, simply do not let your mother know those words even passed my lips. 

"The requests of the Damia Reina of Albarasque."

More confused than ever before, namely because he knew that the title was supposed to mean something to him and it meant absolutely nothing, Adam took the scroll. He glanced down at it hesitantly, for the first time wondering about the mechanics of language. Just because he seemed to be speaking English, didn't mean that he would be able to read whatever these people considered written language.

Adam glanced down at the scroll, and noted with some dismay that his assertion had been correct. He couldn't read the scroll at all. He couldn't even decipher . . . Adam paused in thought and peered at the scroll again. It was written in . . . French. And Spanish. And Italian. Actually, it seemed to be some combination of French, Spanish and Italian, but leaned heavily towards a bizarre mixture of French and Spanish. And he could read French, and a little bit of Spanish, although he would have a terrible time speaking either language.

"Master Ilarms has translated it for me, but I thought that you would like to read it for yourself," his father continued. "I am giving you charge and responsibility for seeing to the Damia Reina's 'requests.' Your first act of state is to accommodate your new bride and royal in-laws."

Adam looked from the scroll, to the king, and back again. He was supposed to be able to read this thing? With no outside help?

"So, what does it say, cousin?" Hagen prompted, peering over his shoulder. "Or have you been wasting Master Ilarms time only pretending to learn Albarasque?"

The old man, who had been blending into the shadows, coughed and snorted. "I'll say he's been wasting my time. Still can barely speak a word of it, but I suppose that he can always write notes to his bride."

Adam sighed and realized that he was not going to find anyway out of this. He just hoped that his knowledge of French and Spanish would be enough to get him through. "His royal majesty . . . High King Martine . . ." Adam stumbled over the name because even it was a derivative of his father's name, " . . . of the Lion Throne of Stiborn. Bearer of the Lion Staff and —"

"Oh, skip all that," his father interjected. "It's a lot of flowery language simply meant to soften the blow for what comes later. We have spent months preparing a private section of the castle of the Damia and her daughter and their entourage, and what does she ask for? A private estate! She does not want to risk the possibility of the Damiar being 'polluted' before the wedding ceremony. What do you say to that? To the thought of us polluting the Damiar?"

"It's a different culture," Adam stumbled over the words, hoping that his assessment was accurate, but basing it solely on the only differences he saw so far — the odd titles and the different language. "They have different . . . rules for this type of thing."

Again, the king smiled and nodded. "Good. You've learned more than Master Ilarms or I thought you had."

Hagen smirked again and Adam groaned inwardly as he realized the question had been a test of some sort. He really needed to get out of here before he said or did something that gave him away as an imposter.

"It's of vital importance to the Damia that the purity of her daughter be maintained until the wedding night," the old man, Master Ilarms stepped forward again. "The child has spent nearly her entire life in a cloister, and has had little contact with even the men of her country. I have been told that she is quite well schooled in the ways of our people, but the Albarasque consider the protection of the princess — yes, well, we've been over this before haven't we?"

"Very well, then," the king nodded and took over the conversation and Adam swore to himself. He was actually getting the first bit of information that made any sense and explained something to him, and it had been snatched away because it was assumed that he already knew it. All right then, he would have to make a mental note to talk to Master Ilarms later. "I thought that Elspera Keep would do nicely."

Hagen choked and again, Adam was left dangling.

"Elspera Keep?" Adam repeated.

"I know that it sounds like a poor choice, but the Elspera Province is one of the closest to the capital. The keep is only a full day's travel, so it makes for ease of ferrying messages and other such. Lord Bial and Lady Margot should return soon from the Northern Reaches, with Lord Marmion and Lady Jadina, and I should think that this would be a fine opportunity for that ne'er do well cousin of yours to show that he has some worthiness of his title and his due. 

"Besides which, your mother has a soft spot for Lady Jadina and apparently she has become a Lady to be reckoned with. I think that Lady Margot and Lady Jadina shall do well to appease and meet the needs of the Damia Reina and her entourage."

"And I'm supposed to . . ." Too late Adam realized that perhaps he had not used an appropriate tone with the king, that he might have committed a terrible faux pas.

That did not seem to be the case as the king continued to smile. "You will greet the Rueles at the Keep upon their return and inform them that they will have the honor of hosting your new bride. I'm certain that you will be able to handle whatever words fall from young Marmion's lips.

"I, in the meantime, shall have to explain to Lord Patric why this honor has fallen to the Third House of the kingdom and not the Second." The king straightened and motioned to the scroll, "I still have need of that, my son. Master Ilarms and I must compose a response to the Damia Reina. I will see that you are able to read it later. So that you may heed her words to the letter of the law."

Adam returned the scroll to the king, his head still going in circles. Hagen had already bowed politely and was heading for the door, so it was clear that they had been dismissed. With clouded thoughts, Adam said his goodbye and joined the young lord, the king's nephew, and his cousin in the corridor outside. 

"Well, cousin, what say you to a visit to the Master Tailor?"

"Not now," Adam shook off the playful arm that had been slung around his shoulder. "I need to go to the library." Assuming there was one. There was always a library, right?

"Library?" Hagen stared at him. "Adam, what has gotten into you these past few weeks? I think that you know everything you need to know about Albarasque culture. Not that it matters anyway. Once the Damiar Princess is married to you, she's Stibornian. She should be worried about our culture. Which is a far cry better, if you ask me; our women aren't so ugly that we must hide them behind veils."

Adam could only stare blankly at the man before him. Could he really be that ignorant of other cultures? Yes, Adam realized, he could. This wasn't earth, which had the ability to bridge language and knowledge gaps and still bigots ran free; this was a medieval — or at least early renaissance world — where one's own culture and belief would be the right one, and all others would be wrong.

But if that was the case, why would the prince of this culture being marrying the princess of another?

"I can never know too much," Adam said after a pause. "Wouldn't want to start a war on my wedding day, would I?"

"I think you're simply afraid of the Master Tailor's daughters. But, you know, it is as I have been telling you, you should sow your wild oats now, Adam, before you are shackled and chained to a priestess mage from another land."

Priestess mage? Something clicked inside Adam's head. The word, damiar, it must be some sort of honorific referring to priestly status. 

"The Damiar Princess," he whispered the words softly. 

"Who will probably turn you into a toad if you displease her, and my experience says that women are easily displeased," Hagen teased and then turned serious. "Does it bother you?"

Adam tried to find a source of the non-sequitor and failed. "Does what bother me?"

"That she's stronger than you. Better than you with magic . . . that's if the rumors are to believed. That her whole line is bred from the magus past? Do you believe that part?"

"I never really thought about it," Adam said, and the words weren't a lie. *He*, Adam Newman, had never really thought about it. He didn't know if his counterpart had done so or not. "But that's why I'm marrying her isn't it? Because we're both mages?" He tried to couch the question as rhetorical and hoped that Hagen would rise to the bait.

"Yeah, with you being the first of the royal house in a long time to actually be considered a true mage, it's no wonder your father wants this union to go off without a hitch. By the gods, Adam, do you realize that if she really is as strong as they say, your heirs will — there won't be a kingdom this side of the Eternal Ocean that will want to stand against Stiborn or Albarasque."

"Politics," Adam muttered more to himself than to Hagen.

The other still picked up on it. "Of course, cousin, that's what we're born to. We're not children, we're pawns for property and title." Hagen slapped him on the shoulder, "Some of us more than others."

"I really need to go to the library, Hagen."

"I'm not surprised. I didn't think that I would talk you out of it. Fare you well then, I shall see you when we break for supper." 

Adam watched him go and then turned and headed in the other direction. He got only a few steps when he realized that perhaps letting Hagen out of his company hadn't been a good idea.

Because he realized that he had no idea where the library was.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	3. Chapter Three

### **Chapter Three**

Adam found the library purely by accident. After realizing that he couldn't call Hagen back and ask the other man where the library was, he set about to discover it for himself. He figured that at best, opening doors and peeking into rooms, he would eventually find it. At worst, he would give himself a tour of the Lion Palace of Stiborn. 

As he wandered the corridors and halls, he reviewed in his mind what little he knew about himself and this place. He was a prince. From the sound of things, he was not just any prince — he had been called High Prince — but he was the heir. Whether he was the sole heir remained to be seen, but he was an individual of great importance to the — country? kingdom? — of Stiborn. 

He was also engaged to marry a princess from a kingdom called Albarasque. And she was not an ordinary princess by any stretch of the imagination. A princess who was also a priestess and a mage, ideas which brought up and created even more questions in Adam's mind. His fiancée was a mage; he was a mage; that was the reason for this arranged marriage. Well, he was relatively certain that it wasn't the only reason; from what he recalled royal marriages in medieval and renaissance times were usually made for the sake of keeping peace, the annexation of land and the growth or submission of a country. 

Adam needed a map. Which would probably be in the library — whenever he found it.

A few other things became clear to him in his wanderings as well. For starters, no one seemed to care very much that the prince was wandering the corridors and peeking into rooms. He wondered if this was a behavior that was typical of Prince Adam Aldaric — and he dreaded the thought that he had fallen into a world where he was supposed to be a flighty and empty-headed figurehead — or if the servants merely ignored the eccentric behavior of their future sovereign. Adam very much hoped that it was the latter.

The royal colors of the Lion Palace were clearly deep burgundy, a rich violet and gold. Those colors were a recurring theme throughout the Palace, echoing and repeating themselves in the tapestries and mosaics. The guards and the servants wore those colors, and on second inspection of himself, Adam discovered that the sleeves of his riding shirt were ringed with burgundy, violet and gold. He didn't think the colors were any mark of station; rather he had the distinct feeling that his mark of station came from the simple pendant which hung around his neck — a lion flanked by a sword and a rose — images he had also seen repeated in the mosaics and tapestries.

He had all but given up looking for the library when he reached a wing that dead-ended in two large double doors. Closed, the doors bore the image of a sleeping lion; opened, the lion's body would be parted in the middle. Above and below the lion were engraved and carved out quills and letters, worked together in such an elaborate way that it took Adam a moment to realize he was staring at quills and letters. 

"Pay dirt," Adam grinned, and pushed the doors inward. 

He then gasped.

The library was two stories high, with curving staircases on either end of the large room. The second floor was open in the center, elaborately carved and decorated wooden beams serving as railings to prevent someone from falling to the floor below. Or at least, to give someone the comfort of believing they would not fall to the floor below. Leather bond books and scrolls covered the shelves and enclaves of both floors, and as he strolled forward, his heels clicking loudly on the polished gray tiled floors, Adam realized that finding the information he wanted wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped.

Damn.

"Your Highness?" 

The voice behind him startled him, and Adam spun quickly. He recognized the gray haired and whizzened man from his meeting with the king earlier, and took pause. Had he really been wandering so long that the man beat him to the library?

Of course, this man knew where the library was.

"Master Ilarms, I —" Adam stopped and fumbled for the right words. He couldn't just ask for books about Stiborn and Albarasque, could he? While the servants might be willing to ignore his unusual behavior, he had the feeling that the man before him would not. This man was at least a scholar of some sort, if not the king's personal advisor; acting strangely would only gain him attention that he did not want. He didn't imagine that anyone in this place would be happy to learn that he was not the prince, for some reason the words 'spy' and 'treason' popped into his head, and Adam much preferred keeping his head attached to his neck. "You startled me."

"Then you should not have let your guard down," Master Ilarms patted him on the shoulder, an affectionate gesture which surprised Adam. "We shall have to talk to Stewart about that. You have been lax in your battle practice lately — or so the rumors say."

"I've been — distracted." That seemed a safe and reasonable enough reply.

"So, it has been noted." Master Ilarms stepped closer, and Adam realized that he was a good head taller than the stooped man. That however didn't matter, because as he gazed down into eyes so blue that they were nearly black, Adam felt like he was the one being dwarfed. "I have not told your father that you are playing with magic that is beyond your grasp, and I have been lenient and patience in allowing your explorations. Eris, Shira and Damiaren know that you have gone beyond what I can teach you. 

"But you must have patience, my prince. When this marriage is sealed, you will have access to the knowledge that has made the damiar the most powerful magi in this world. You will grow in skill and ability, you will be able to do what so few of our people may do and study at the temple of Damiaren, alongside their priests and magi. 

"But that is only if you manage to keep yourself alive that long and don't destroy this gift the gods have given you!" As he said the last, Master Ilarms voice rose, and bellowed out, echoing largely throughout the entire library. "I have seen those who burn themselves out, Adam. And I tell you again, as I have done a hundred times in the past — it is not a pretty picture."

"I'm sorry. I'll be more careful." Under the circumstances, those seemed the most appropriate words that he could say.

"You will be the epitome of careful!" Master Ilarms stomped his foot to punctuate his words. "No more of this dallying and playing with the flows, no more tapping into power sources that you are unfamiliar with. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master Ilarms." Adam answered with all honesty because he had no intentions of experimenting with unfamiliar magic; which in his case, was any magic at all.

"Good then. I am glad we have settled that. I trust we shall not have this conversation again."

"We won't," Adam promised. Then a thought occurred to him. He might be able to get a bit more information from Master Ilarms if he chose his words carefully and played his hand correct. "Although I am certain that the Damiar Princess never gets this type of scolding."

Master Ilarms eyes flashed, but his body language was such that Adam knew his hunch had been correct. The scholar — and mage — before him was used to Adam putting up a fight — or at least a bit of an argument. "The princess was born and raised using magic. Her situation is far different from yours, and by Damiaren you know it.

"Although in private counsel, I will say that I still do not see how the child could have possibly earned the rank of High Mage at such a young age."

"You still doubt her ability?" Adam was drawing at straws here, hoping that he read Master Ilarms's cues right and trying to judge from what he remembered of his conversation with Hagen. 

"I have never said that I doubted her ability. You stop twisting my words. I have no doubts that she is as powerful — or at least has the potential to be as powerful — as her grandmother Damiar Roleran. But she has barely walked on this world for nineteen feastdays, so it is doubtful that she has reached her full potential. But, I suppose when your mother is one of the High Twelve of the Damiaren Temple and the sovereign of the land, such matters of are of little consequence." 

"I suppose," Adam sighed heavily, realizing that the answer he received only raised more questions. 

Master Ilarms touched his arm again, his grip gentle but firm. "Do not let the stories and rumors alarm you, my prince. Remember, the Damiar Princess Amideira is but a child, and you are not so much older than she. Her language and her culture are different, but you share a passion and a gift — and that is the magic. I have no doubt that you — and she — will adapt. However much neither of you wants this marriage.

"She is a sweet child, Adam, although somewhat innocent in the ways of the world. Whoever had the inspired idea to put a future sovereign into a cloister — well, it's no business of mine. Amideira has a quick mind and keen wit; she will make you a fine wife and good, strong queen. Mark my words; if you work at this, you will have a fine marriage, and through your heirs, ascendancy of two kingdoms."

"And what part of that is supposed to make me feel better?" Adam realized he had asked the question aloud as the man at his side smiled, a twinkle in his eyes.

"You know that I would not lead you astray in this, my prince. I have met the Damiar Princess. I approve of this marriage, the treaty and everything else it entails. And you know how fond I am of politics."

Master Ilarms had met the princess? That was unexpected. Or maybe not. After all, he was also instructing the Prince in the ways and language of Albarasque. It only made sense that he had been there.

"Well, I've never met her," Adam remarked.

"Well, perhaps that may change when she sets foot upon Stibornian soil. It is my understanding that Damiar Amideira is quite willful — certainly should make your marriage all the more interesting — but perhaps if she is as anxious to see you as you are to meet her, something will be arranged.

"Although, I daresay that the Damia Reina won't like that very much."

Adam had figured out by now that Damia Reina was the title given to the ruler of Albarasque. Damia, had to be something related to the title Damiar, and Reina, if his memory served, was actually Spanish for "queen." 

"Why is she doing this?" Adam asked carefully.

"Why is whom doing what?"

"The Damia Reina. It sounds as though she doesn't really approve of this marriage. Or at least that she wants to make it as difficult as possible."

Master Ilarms studied him for a moment, then motioned Adam to the closest seat. Adam noticed the scholar waited until Adam sat down before seating himself. "I was wondering when we would have *this* conversation."

"Then I'm not imagining it?"

"No indeed, you are not. I think that the Damia Reina does indeed disapprove of this marriage — it was proposed by Damiar Roleran, whom despite the fact that she no longer sits on the Sun Throne or even holds court, still holds a great deal of power. I have heard that the clashes between mother and daughter make your clashes with your father look like child's play.

"The Damia Reina does not wish for Albarasque to be dependent on anyone or anything, particularly not a lot of barbarians like us. No, this is all Damiar Roleran's doing; she is a wise woman and sees what others do not wish to see. The treaty between Stiborn and Albarasque will reap amazing benefits for both countries. 

"It is said," Master Ilarms lowered his voice conspiratorially, "that had the Damia Reina shown any aptitude in magic, and not simply worn priestess robes, Damiar Roleran would have attempted to marry her off to your father all those years ago. I doubt that because the temple would have never approved."

"But the temple approves of my marrying one of their priestesses because I am a mage?" Adam was beginning to make sense of the world around them.

"You are one of the most powerful to be born to the ruling line in over a century, Adam. You may not match the power of the Damiar Princess, but do not belittle yourself or your abilities. Damiaren priests tested you at birth, and they were quite pleased — and somewhat surprised by what they saw. You are, in their eyes, a fitting mate for one of their own."

"Great. Now I feel like a well-bred horse," Adam muttered, wondering how anyone ever put up with this sort of behavior.

Master Ilarms laughed and clapped his hands together. "I gather you came for your usual? Books on Albarasque? Come now, Your Highness, don't you think that you have read everything that you could possibly read? I doubt that there is more I can show you. We've done language, culture, history, what more is left? If your brain is as large a sponge as I think it is, you probably know more about the history of Albarasque than your future wife.

"Of course, not being able to speak a word of her language makes conversation difficult." Master Ilarms winked, "But, then again, I don't suppose you will spending the wedding night talking."

Adam startled, embarrassed to hear the old man speaking so frankly. On earth, it wouldn't have surprised him, but here — it was unexpected.

"Oh, p'shaw, do not look at me like that. Do you think I haven't heard the conversations between you and your rogue cousins? Hagen and Marmion are the worst of influences on you, if I've said it once, I've said it a million times. And even had I not had the most great and entertaining pleasure of listening to your scandalous banter, let us not forget, that I was not always old and wrinkled. I was a young man once, and I know that more often than not your thinking ability is located between your legs rather than between your ears.

"Though, you shall not be disappointed, come your wedding night. I have had the rare and honorable pleasure of seeing your bride unveiled." Master Ilarms winked, and leaned forward a bit, "If I were a young man, I would be quite jealous of you. As it stands, I simply pity you on the day that you unveil her before the whole of the kingdom, and hope that you are not the jealous sort.

"But, you did not hear it from me."

Then with a clap of his hands, and a loud belly laugh, the scholar rose to his feet and shuffled off, promising to find Adam more books to fill his head with useless facts and trivia.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	4. Chapter Four

### **Chapter Four**

Stiborn, Adam discovered once Master Ilarms left him to his own devices and he could peruse the library maps and atlases at his leisure, was a large kingdom roughly the size of the western European countries combined. To the west it was bordered by the Eternal Ocean, also referred to as the Endless Ocean, where nothing had been mapped beyond an island nation labeled as Ryther'an. To the north lay the small kingdoms of Eliasias and Verduth; to the northeast Agohac; all resting within the crescent of the Tryyan Mountains. Beyond the Tryyan Mountains lay the Ice Wastes, and it took little imagination for Adam to figure that the area was a probably a tundra and less than hospitable to travelers. 

Carelle Ichtung was Stiborn's eastern border, and nearly equal in size. The Tryyan Mountains arched southerly and created the easternmost border of Carelle Ichtung, and became known as the Spire Mountains. Beyond them lay only an area called "The Deadlands." 

To the south, across the Daelth Sea, lay Albarasque. The Daelth Sea Adam estimated to be somewhat larger than the Mediterranean, but not nearly large enough of vast enough to be called an Ocean. However, the separation of the two continents was large enough for Adam to understand how different languages and cultures could have developed. 

He also learned, while plodding through several piles of well-paged books, that this world, unlike the medieval world of his time, was one that was polytheistic rather than monotheistic. The gods were many, so many that he thought it would take him a while to learn all the names. There were the main gods, those that made up something of what reminded him of a Greek or Roman Pantheon, the gods of war and love and the sea. Then there were lesser gods and demi-gods, some even sacred to certain regions or cities.

Eris, one of the gods Master Ilarms had mentioned earlier, was the Zeus of this world, the leader of all the gods. Shira was his wife, the goddess of marriage, fertility and the Queen of the gods. Damiaren was said to be the son of Eris and Shira, and was the god of magic and holy portents, and the keeper of the religious rites. The priests of Damiaren were called damia or Damia, as an honorific if one was considered a High Priest. The mages were damiar; Damiar, added as an honorific was reserved for High Mages.

It told Adam a lot more than he had known before, but the information didn't necessarily soothe him. The queen of Albarasque was the Damia Reina, the implications of which he understood clearly. She was a priestess before she was a queen, as had been her mother before her, and her mother before her — going back quite a few centuries. In fact — and Adam double checked his research to be certain — it had been at least three hundred years since Albarasque had a King or a Rey. It had been even longer since the ruler of the land was not trained by the temple of Damiaren. 

Albarasque was a matriarchal theocracy; a theocracy with magocracy leanings but a theocracy no less. A matriarchal theocracy was marrying its crown heir to a patriarchal monarchy. It took Adam a moment or two to digest that, simply because it made no sense. Unless of course, the abilities and honors given to those who were mages went deeper than what Adam could find in these books and scrolls. But while that gave Stiborn an advantage, what did Albarasque earn through the marriage?

For the first time, Adam became more than a little bit curious about the land was in and the role he was expected to play. With more questions having been raised now than what were answered, he wanted very much to see the original draft treaty and marriage proposal. There had to be more here than met the eye; what that more was, he was certain that his alter-ego already knew, hence the reason that Master Ilarms had not mentioned it when he mentioned other things. 

But Adam didn't know. And he wanted to find out.

"Boo!" 

The sudden shout right behind him caused Adam to leap immediately to his feet, knocking his chair to the floor in the process. The book he had been perusing, as well as the maps spread out before him went scattering to the floor while his heart climbed up his throat and tried to expel itself through his ears.

Panting and clutching his chest he took a moment to regain his equilibrium while he glared at the interloper — a girl no older than twelve, but so strikingly similar to his mother — or at least pictures of his mother — that his heart nearly failed to resume beating again.

Soft, golden brown curls framed a heart shaped faced. Her lips were pink and pouty, her eyes a soft, warm brown that reminded Adam of the love and warmth and affection of his grandmother. Already a delicate beauty, with a slightly upturned nose and a splattering of freckles dusting her upper cheeks and the bridge of her nose, she would turn heads and break hearts when she was older. 

Her dress was a dark blue, embroidered with flowers and sunbursts, with a dark violet surcoat worn over. The sleeves and edges of the surcoat were embroidered with lions and roses. Her hair was held back with a thick, dark blue ribbon and as he blinked at her, she hopped, quite unlady like onto the table in front of him and crossed her legs at the ankles. A thin silver chain hung around her neck, a finely crafted silver rose pendant hanging at the base of her throat. 

"Gotcha," she said by way of explanation. 

"I'll say," Adam took a deep breath, his heart slowing to a normal rate. "I didn't hear you coming."

"That's the idea. You said that I wouldn't be able to sneak up on you again. Well, I did."

"Congratulations," Adam responded, still waiting for some hint of the precocious child was. He bent down and began to gather up the books and maps he had scattered. "Now, can I just ask you not to do it again?"

"I'll think about it," she promised with a bright smile. Another reminder of a mother he had never known except through pictures and he distracted himself by focusing on the piles by his feet. "What is all that?"

"Reading. I was doing some reading."

"About?"

"Albarasque."

"Again?"

Adam placed the pile of books on the table and met her somewhat disenchanted look. "Yes, again. What's wrong with that?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. Except that Master Ilarms says that you're not going to learn in anything in those books that he hasn't already told you."

"He told you that?" Adam was actually charmed by this girl, even if he had no idea who she was. 

"No," a hint of a blush crept into her cheeks, "I heard him talking to Mother and Father. Father wonders why you're spending all your time in here reading books when you should be at battle practice with Stewart. But Mother thinks it's sweet.

"By the way, Adam, why does Father think that whatever you read won't help you with the wedding night anyway?"

In the midst of her question, Adam had bent down to retrieve the remainder of his lost reading material. He was sorry he had done so, because he jerked up suddenly, ramming his head against the table. With a groan, he lifted his eyes and rubbed his head, glaring at her as she giggled.. 

"You shouldn't eavesdrop." The scolding words came naturally, before he could even consider them, or the true implications about her words — and her familiarity with him.

"Why not?" She pouted, folding her arms stubbornly across her chest. "It's the only way I find out anything. No one tells me anything. It's always, 'Run along now Tara,' 'This doesn't concern you, Tara' or, 'Off with you now, Your Highness.' I'm part of the royal family too!"

The tweaking, rubbing suspicion in the back of his head had just been confirmed and Adam could only stare for a moment at the girl before him. This was his sister; no, this was the sister he might have had in his world had things turned out differently.

Luckily, he was spared from answering her by Hagen's loud and boisterous arrival. "Oh, looky, a princess that I must eat."

Tara squealed at the words and lunged off the table. Skirts gathered in her hands, she raced across the library, screeching at the top of her lungs. Hagen went to pursue her and in a moment, Adam found himself being used as a human shield as the young princess held onto him from behind. Between giggles and hiccups, she pleaded that he — her "brave and most honorable of knights" — protect her from the "Evil Dragon King."

For a moment, Adam was at a complete loss, not sure how to respond. Acting on instinct only, he caught up the chair and threateningly held Hagen at bay while Tara raced for the entrance to the library. Her giggles echoed until the door closed behind her, and with a smile, Adam turned to a foolishly grinning Hagen. 

"I'm still willing to trade you, cousin. I'd much prefer a little sister like that to the terrible shrews I can only hope will be married off soon." To emphasize his words, Hagen gave a shiver.

"No." It seemed a safe enough answer, and one that Adam had a reasonably good feeling he had given numerous times before.

"Worth a try," Hagen shrugged. "Shall we sup? And then, I will tell you about the lovely milkmaid that is now helping Helga in the kitchens . . ."

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	5. Chapter Five

### **Chapter Five: Lord Marmion & Lady Jadina**

Jade Weston swore that she would never, ever set foot on another ship ever again. She made a promise to herself that the minute her feet touched land again, she would remain there, on land, for the rest of her life. A life that it seemed would be relatively short if she did not stop leaning over the rail of the ship as her body attempted to expel her insides. She coughed and gagged, heedless of the cold stinging rain which lashed at her heated face, and her grip on the wooden railing tightened as the ship lurched and heaved yet again, tossed about by the angry waves. 

As if it wasn't bad enough that the entire world — correction, the entire universe — had been turned inside out in the blinking of an eye, she now learned first hand that she did not have the stomach for sea travel. Suddenly being plucked from the safety and warmth of the beach and rudely deposited on the bow of a ship she might have been able to handle. Suddenly being deposited on the bow of a ship and discovering that she was about to lose her breakfast, lunch and dinner was another matter entirely.

"Come on kid, there can't be anything left in there," Megabyte's voice at her side was a small bit of comfort in a world that no longer made any sense. It reminded her that she wasn't here alone — wherever here was — and not being alone made things easier to bear. It would be nice to not be alone when she heaved up her intestines and finally expired. At this point in time, even that nickname that she hated wasn't so terrible to hear.

"Megabyte," Jade coughed, "I think I'm dying."

"No, just sea —" 

The rest of his words were lost as the ship — and her stomach — heaved yet again.

When she at last gained some semblance of control over her body, she pulled back from the rail and leaned heavily against Megabyte, whom she was more than a little surprised to discover was still at her side. The rain continued to beat down on them, but she didn't really care. She was soaked through to the bone, and thought that she would never be dry again. 

She also was considering never eating again, just to be on the safe side.

"Megabyte, where are we?" 

"I don't know. But if you're done hacking up over the side of the ship maybe we can find someone to tell us."

"You know, it's not my fault," Jade sulked. Her throat burned, and her body trembled as cold began to seep into her bones. She sulkily pushed a few strands of hair from her face and peered up at Megabyte through the haze. "I didn't know I got sea sick. I didn't even know we were going to be on a boat."

"I know the feeling." Megabyte gave her a sympathetic hug, and then turned and began hurrying her towards the center of the boat. She was about to ask where they were going when she saw a door open to the decks below and — General Damon? — raced out, tossing a cloak over Jade and ushering them both inside.

"Poor thing," General Damon directed his words at Jade. "Don't fret Jadina. You'll be fine when this storm settles down a bit."

"Oh, Bial, please." A woman stepped from a nearby doorway, shaking her head at the General. Jade recognized her as Megabyte's mother, but some nagging feeling told her that these weren't really Megabyte Damon's parents. They may have looked like Megabyte's parents, but they were not. From their mannerisms to their style of dress to — what was that name the woman had called the man? 

"She doesn't need to hear your rationalizations right now. She needs to be warm and dry." The woman slipped an arm around Jade's shoulders, but directed her words to Megabyte. "Get yourself clean and dry as well, Marm, I'll see to Jadina."

[Jadina?] Jade felt Megabyte's voice in her mind, echoing her own question.

Megabyte opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as the man who looked an incredible lot like his father, led him away, muttering something about, "Women's matters."

The woman's voice was soothing, her arms providing a motherly comfort to Jade's tired and ravaged body as she ushered Jade into the nearest cabin. "See there, Jadina. I told you that Marm cares about you more than you know. Your husband will turn into a gentleman yet."

Jade Weston had never fainted before. However, as the world began to recede away from her and she felt the floor rushing towards her, she realized that there was a first time for everything.

*****

[Adam?] Megabyte reached out telepathically, knowing that it was both futile and a waste of energy, but he went through the motions anyway. He had been attempting to contact Adam for the last hour, without any success, but it was the only thing that he could think of to do. Adam would have the answers; but Adam wasn't responding, and it was becoming quickly apparent that he and Jade — or Marmion and his wife, Jadina — were on their own.

Married. Now there was the unexpected. From earth to — wherever — to find himself married. Not just married, either, but married to Jade. All right, so she was actually supposed to be some girl named Jadina and he was supposed to be someone named Marmion, and the man and woman who looked like his parents, but were nothing like his parents at all, were Marmion's parents and —

He was giving himself a headache just thinking about it.

But . . . marriage? Megabyte was certain that someone somewhere was having a very good laugh about this. Not that he would have minded being married, but he would have preferred someone . . . someone a little less Jade. The kid was nice and all, but he had never looked at her that way. Somehow, the thought of being married to her and all the things that marriage entailed . . . well, the word incestuous came to mind. 

He rapped his fingers on the desktop, his eyes traveling the length of the small cabin to rest on the girl's sleeping form. She was sleeping soundly, curled up on her side in the one — single — very small bed that occupied their cabin. He envied her that sleep, although he had to admit he wasn't sure that he wanted to deal with the sea sickness that came before, but at least if he had been asleep, he wouldn't be thinking. And if he wasn't thinking, he wouldn't be giving himself a headache.

There was however, nothing else to do but think. 

Well, there was a satchel of books to read, written oddly enough in English. No, then again, that wasn't so odd considering that everyone around him spoke English. Or maybe they didn't, maybe his brain was just processing everything as English —

Stop it, Megabyte chastised himself, feeling his thoughts heading towards another endless spiral.

How had this happened anyway? The last thing he remembered was arriving on the beach with Jade, just in time to see this incredible vortex moving towards Adam. He remembered beginning to run towards his friend and feeling the entire world shift into slow motion. The sand beneath his sneakers was like quicksand, and the wind beating at him was like a shield that he could not penetrate. Then, in the blinking of an eye, Adam was gone.

In the next heartbeat, he and Jade were standing on the bow of a ship that was being ripped apart by a thunderstorm. 

Now, he was Marmion. Correction, he was Lord Marmion Ruele of House Ruele, the Third House under the Lion Throne of Stiborn. That was the information he had managed to discern by going through Marmion's — now Megabyte's — things. It was still a lot of fancy titles that meant nothing to him, but it was more than he had known when he first found himself chasing Jade across a slippery top deck in a torrential thunderstorm.

Raking his hands through his hair, Megabyte returned his attention to the small leather bound journal on the desktop. It was Marmion's journal; the one thing that told him anything at all about the person that he was supposed to be. He had found it in a pocket of the satchel with the books, tied with a leather cord, and he was as hesitant now as he had been then to read it. 

It was from the journal that he managed to figure out who Marmion was, and that was where he had stopped. Not out of respect for the young lord's privacy — after all, some twisted logic told Megabyte that he had every right and reason to read that journal — but rather because he had not liked what he had read in those first few pages. 

Megabyte didn't think that he liked Marmion all that much, and he wasn't certain how anyone else did either. 

He brushed his fingers lightly across the soft leather cover, torn between the morbid desire to lift the cover and read the eerily familiar scrawl that covered the pages and the equally strong desire to shove it back where he found it. Then he could pretend that he never had found it, and didn't know how much of a shallow, egocentric ass Lord Marmion Ruele was supposed to be.

On the other hand, if he didn't read it, he would be ignoring the only obvious source he had for information and answers.

The lesser of two evils, Megabyte mused and opened the book.

"It seems that I am doomed to my accursed fate." He began reading where he had left off earlier, settling to a more comfortable position in the high backed, hard wood chair. 

"Come next month, I shall no more have my independence than a tree is independent of its roots. Father wishes me to think this is his doing, his with the blessing of His Majesty (and I shall not go on about that at this time), but I know better. This is Mother's doing, it has her handiwork written all over it — right down to the child she has chosen to be my wife. She has the ear — and the undivided attention of our gracious Queen — and so this has come to pass. Thank you, Mother.

"It is not that I am adverse to being married. Perhaps in another ten years I would have chosen this path for myself. But with a bride of my choosing. Preferably a buxom maid who is capable of speaking softly, if at all, and would outshine the prettiest of the kingdom, and of course, entertain all my counsels in bed. But this — this child would never have been my choice.

"She is not simply a child — and plain, mind you — but she is an annoyance like none I have ever encountered. I have lived my life around her and constantly prayed for the day that she would be married off so that I would not have to hear her shrill voice, her shrewish chastisements and her ever so overbearing attempts at coy flirtation. I suppose this is fate's idea of a joke, and I am the butt of it. I wanted Jadina Zenil married off — the sooner the better — and I have gotten my wish.

"Again, I thank you, Mother."

Megabyte stopped reading with a disgusted grimace. He actually felt bad for poor Jadina, if this was the man she had been chosen to marry. He looked up, his eyes focusing again on Jade, and felt the stirrings of guilt. He wasn't so much disgusted with Marmion as he was with himself; he knew that there had been times when he had echoed the lord's sentiments. 

But Megabyte didn't dislike Jade. Actually — and he would never tell her this, not even on the threat of death — but he was fond of her. She was one of his closest friends, and she was more like a sister to him than his own sister was. Mostly he pushed her aside because it was too difficult to deal with her crush on him. It was awkward and embarrassing, and it would be easier on both of them when she outgrew it — and him. That didn't make his attitude any more excusable he knew, but at least he felt that it put him one step higher on the evolutionary ladder than Marmion.

Flipping a few pages, Megabyte jumped ahead a few entries. "Adam says that I should —" Megabyte paused and started again. Yes, he had been right. The name was Adam. Of course, there was no way that Marmion could have been referring to the same Adam, but the coincidental appearance of a name so familiar to Megabyte gave him chills. 

"Adam says that I should stop whining and simply accept my fate. As though he is one to speak of such things. Still, it is not a subject that I shall broach with my royal cousin again; he did not much like it when I challenged his words. I often forget myself around him, I forget that he is more than a man I hunt beside, more than a boy I chased foxes through the mud beside. He wears the medallion of state, the stole of duty across his shoulders and too often I forget that these days he is first the prince of Stiborn and second, my best friend and cousin.

"We had gone riding, as is our want and I wished to let off steam. With my nuptials less than a sevenday off, I needed to open my soul. I had forgotten that I am not the only one afflicted with the ailment that is known as an 'arranged marriage.'

'Stop your whining and accept it, Marmion. You've been off your mother's apron strings long enough that you can stop acting like a child,' Adam said to me.

'Yes, and you are one to talk of accepting fate? I do not see you dancing for joy at the prospect of marrying your promised bride.'

He stopped riding, and the way his eyes narrowed as he gazed at me darkly, I knew that I had gone too far. Adam's betrothal is something that is seldom discussed; it is not a situation that he is happy with, but one that he accepts because he is the prince and his marriage is a duty.

'Consider yourself fortunate, Marmion. You, at least, know Lady Jadina. Perhaps you have no choice, but you are not going to be wed to a foreigner from a foreign land simply to assure control of ocean routes, and import tariffs, and a growing navy.'

He pulled his horse in close, his words dark, 'No, cousin, I am not happy, but unlike you, I accept my fate because it is my duty and my destiny. It is for the good of my people and my kingdom and I will do whatever I must for the good of the kingdom. And if I can accept a woman that I have never met, a woman who, by the gods, is a Damiar, then you can at least have the courtesy and respect for your parents and House Zenil to accept Lady Jadina with good grace.'

"Our ride was quite short today."

Megabyte smiled as he finished the entry. It was a good sign if there was someone who would dare to speak his mind to Marmion and put the man in his proper place. He was actually looking forward to meeting Prince Adam — provided Marmion had not done something to put himself in the prince's bad graces.

Skimming back, he made note of the word damiar and decided to make it his priority to find out what the meaning of it was. Something about the emphasis that Marmion put on the word told him that it was important. Possibly just a royal title in a foreign land, but somehow, Megabyte didn't think so.

He continued reading for a while, growing alternately disgusted and amused by Lord Marmion Ruele. His marriage to Lady Jadina of House Zenil was — at least for the time that Megabyte read — a chaste one. She moved into Elspera Keep, Marmion's family's home in the Elspera province of Stiborn, and was assigned a lady in waiting and her own quarters. Marmion and Jadina lived like two strangers, rarely even seeing one another at meals. For his part, Marmion kept himself busy running the land while his father served as one of the king's advisors at the palace. He made monthly trips to the Palace and spent time with Adam, and another of their cousins, Hagen — and of Jadina, he said very little. Except that she kept her own counsel, and that she was quite the lady of the keep.

Megabyte was only three quarters of the way through the journal when his eyes began to water and he was forced to put the book aside. Yawning and stretching to work some of the tightness out of his muscles, he stood with indecision beside the bed for a long moment. There was only one bed — a little fact he had forgotten while being caught up in the life and times of Marmion Ruele. 

Jade was still out like a light. Sprawled on her stomach, one fist bunched up near her mouth, blonde hair falling like a veil across her face. Megabyte wondered briefly how someone who had such a terrible reaction to being on a boat could actually sleep while the ship bobbed and rolled, making him grab the bed posts so that he didn't stumble and fall on top of her. 

The bed was small, Megabyte noted. It wouldn't have been so bad if Jade hadn't positioned herself quite neatly in the center of it. But she had, so there was no way he was going to be able to tackle getting into that bed without coming into contact with her.

Of course, it was just a bed. And they were just sleeping. And it was only Jade. Which was the problem: it was Jade. 

He could pretend that he was Marmion and that this was wife, Jadina, but that didn't work either. One, he had no desire to be Marmion, and two, Marmion probably would have no problems sharing the bed with her — and ignoring her the whole while.

There was always the floor. He could possibly manage to work one of the blankets from out of Jade's death grip and make himself comfortable on the floor. On the cold, hard, damp floor that would probably allow a rat or two the chance to nip at him. He hadn't seen any rats, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

Megabyte realized that he must have been considering his options too long — or perhaps too loudly — as Jade slowly shifted, coming awake. She pushed hair away from her eyes, blue eyes staring up at him with a mild mixture of annoyance and tiredness. 

"Megabyte."

"Yeah?"

"Just get in bed already." That said, his fellow Tomorrow Person promptly rolled over, snuggling as tightly as possible against the wall. "It will look really stupid if someone finds you sleeping on the floor."

Having no argument for that logic, Megabyte followed her order. He climbed into the narrow bed, his back to her as he clung tightly to his side as possible. "Good night, Jade."

"Good night, Marmion." There was a bit of a giggle in her voice as she said it.

Megabyte vowed to get even with her in the morning. He never quite figured out how he was going to do that though as sleep crept in and claimed him.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	6. Chapter Six

### **Chapter Six: Same Old As the Night Before**

Jade awoke groggily to the unfamiliar sensation of a weight holding her down. Squinting into the unfamiliar surroundings, she shifted and realized belatedly that it was not a weight holding her down. It was an arm. A rather warm and muscular arm which was apparently attached to the very warm and muscular body that spooned around behind her. She smiled, still only half-awake, and burrowed back into the warmth and familiar scents of soap and cologne. The familiar scents of --

Recognition dawned and Jade jerked abruptly to a state of full wakefulness. The events of the previous afternoon and evening flooded her memory, and as the small bed -- in fact, the entire room -- lurched and pitched, she realized that she was not waking from a dream, but rather to reality. Staring at a plain wooden wall, the feeling of the ship bobbing gently on the water, and the warmth radiating from Megabyte's hand where it rested on her stomach told her that this was no dream. All right, admittedly the part where she curled up in Megabyte's arms and slept could very well have been pulled right from one of her dreams, but the unfamiliar smells and sounds and the scratchy quilts that lay both beneath and on top of her told her otherwise.

Thankfully, her stomach no longer seemed inclined to crawl up her throat and out her body. Jade let herself lay there, tired in spite of herself. And well ... 

Well, despite all the scariness of being in this strange place, she had to admit it was nice being this close to Megabyte. If he were awake, he'd never let her this close and she'd never have the nerve to let herself get this close. Because she knew exactly how he'd react if she ever tried it -- he'd laugh at her. Or freak out. Megabyte had made it clear in so many ways that he had no interest in her as anything but a friend and she had to accept that.  
  
Still, it was nice to pretend.   
  
God, he was so warm. A small thrill went through her at the feel of his strong, solid presence at her back. How many times had she imagined something like this? Okay, well, not exactly like this, but close. More times than she could even remember and yet not one of those times could compare to the immediate sensation of his arms around her, holding her -- in the here and now. Not in some dream world, but in a reality she could reach out and touch ...  
  
Whoa, she caught herself. Don't go there. Don't even think it. Not if you want to leave this room alive.  
  
Well, at least she knew one thing -- she was definitely better. No one could have thoughts like these and be sea sick.  


But better or not, she wasn't inclined to leave the warmth and security of his arms just yet. She shifted again, wiggling and snuggling back against him. And then, she froze as he moved, holding her breath in the hope that he would not wake up. Not now. 

Someone heard her prayers. Megabyte didn't wake up. Instead, he moved closer, burying his face in her hair, one leg slung over hers. 

Now, this was an interesting development. She could get used to this. She could really get used --

Oh, who was she kidding? The minute that Megabyte woke up, it would all be over. And if he even suspected that she had been awake, he would never let her live it down. As if it was her fault that the cabin was a bit cool; as if it was her fault that he naturally seemed to seek out the closest source of warmth and physical contact. It wasn't. It was her fault that she wasn't doing anything about it, but . . .

Carefully, she wiggled again and then froze. Something was poking her in the small of her back. Now, that was completely uncomfortable. Moving gently, with the hopes of not disturbing him, Jade flipped over onto her back. A task easier planned out than performed considering that Megabyte now had her pinned beneath his arm and his leg. Now the hard jabbing was aimed at her hip, but it was no more comfortable than it had been before. 

And that was when she realized that he was awake. Barely awake, but awake.

Half a heartbeat later she realized exactly what the jabbing in her hip was.

"Hi," Jade squeaked meekly as a very red-faced Megabyte opened his eyes.

Megabyte scrambled away from her, putting as much distance between them as he possibly could without landing in a heap on the floor. He swung his legs out of bed, his back to her as he raked his hands through his hair. "Yeah, whatever."

"So, I guess, we're still here," Jade hugged the quilt to her chest, wondering why she felt heat and warmth to her face. "Wherever we are."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know!" Megabyte snapped as he glanced back over his shoulder at her. 

"I'm sorry." Jade recoiled from the force of his words, pressing back against the cabin wall, the quilt still clutched tightly in her hands. She stared down at her lap, swallowing nervously. "I just thought that . . . maybe . . . I don't know."

"Well, kid, I just woke up, so give me a minute, okay?"

His words hit harder this morning than they normally did. Jade felt a lump in her throat and hated herself for it. Still, she managed a feeble protest. "Don't call me that. I'm not a kid."

"Yeah, right, I forgot. You're my wife." 

The way he said the words made her bristle. She knew that he was just being Megabyte, trying to cope with his own embarrassment by lashing out at her, but the rationale didn't make her feel any better or make his words sting any less. 

"Well, you didn't seem to mind it so much when you were snuggling up to me."

Jade watched as his shoulders visibly tightened beneath his shirt, and then noticed for the first time that he had slept in his clothes -- a shirt and loose breeches. Of course, that was only of secondary import. The first issue was the way he tensed, one hand gripping the quilts beneath him. She recognized the signs and she knew that she was dangerously close to pushing him too far.

"I wasn't *snuggling.* You were the one wrapped around me."

"I didn't have much choice! You were practically sleeping on top of me."

"Oh, yeah, like that would happen. You sure you weren't dreaming?"

"No, but I wish I had been. At least in my dreams you're a lot nicer to me when you wake up." The moment the words crossed her lips, Jade felt all the blood drain from her face. She could not have just said that. She absolutely, positively could not have just said that.

Now, she was in for it. Now, she had given him fodder for something else other than his own embarrassment and she would never, ever hear the end of it.

That was why his next words actually surprised her.

"Jade. Let's just not argue okay?"

"What?"

"We don't have time to argue. We need to figure out what's going on."

"Who are you and what did you do with Megabyte?"

"Geesh! Can't I even back down without you making a big deal out of it?" He leapt off the bed so quickly that Jade felt the vibrations of his feet hitting the cabin floor. When he whirled to look at her, his eyes reflected little more than mild annoyance, his embarrassment completely banished. "I'm trying to be nice here, Jade. Go with it, okay?"

Jade stared at him. "Now I know we're in an alternate universe."  
  
"Oh, very funny. I'm so glad you can stand around and crack jokes at a time   
like this," Megabyte bit off. "You're a lot of help, you know that?"  
  
She didn't know why, perhaps because he had shattered whatever moment they had been sharing earlier or because he had been so brusque about it, but his words struck a nerve. More than that. They reminded her of how alone and helpless she felt. She was adrift in a world that was not her own and the one familiar person was the one person she -- well, loved was too strong a word, but adoration came close. Excepting that it was a one-sided adoration, and nothing short of a miracle was going to change that.

  
God, I hate this, she thought, I just want to wake up.   
  
"No, I don't suppose I am," she replied, her voice small.  
  
"Jade?" he seemed confused.  
  
"Leave me alone, Megabyte," she said, "Please...just leave me alone."  
  
She sat down on the edge of the bed, sinking her face into shaking hands. Though the swell of the floor underneath her wasn't upsetting her stomach, she felt drained. Cold sweat prickled down her neck, threatening to works its way down her spine. She shivered.   
  
"Um, hey. You okay?" Megabyte asked anxiously, coming around the corner of the   
bed to sit beside her. Warily.  
  
Seeing that made her laugh, though it came out more like a shaky sob. "Sure, Megabyte, I'm just *great*. I mean, we're lost in some other world. We can't go home. We can't find Ami or Adam. And you hate me. Life's a party."  
  
She knew he didn't hate her, but more than anything right now she needed reassurance. She needed to hear that they were going to get out of this. She needed him to do and say all the things that Adam would have. Then she'd be able to get up and act as if nothing had happened. Then she'd be able to believe that there was a slim chance they might actually get out of this one and that she'd get to see her mum and her friends and London again.

"Jade, I don't hate you. I'm just . . . " he stopped suddenly and she listened as he inhaled and exhaled deeply. "All right, look, it's been a pretty weird night and a pretty -- off -- morning, so why don't we first try and find some breakfast. And then, there are some journals and books and stuff here; I'll read them and see what I can find out. 

"I mean, this is King Arthur land, right? Maybe this Marmion guy is a wizard and maybe he left his spell book lying around. Or at least a couple of pairs of ruby slippers."

His words actually made her smile. He wasn't Adam, but for right now, it would do.

[Chapter Seven][1]

   [1]: worlds-7.html



	7. Chapter Seven

### **Chapter Seven: **

After breakfast, which consisted of porridge and a bit of fruit which Lady Margot, his mother, had remarked was somewhat sweeter in spring, Megabyte spent the remainder of the morning and afternoon in the cabin reading Marmion's journal. An uneasy truce held between he and Jade, she even brought him lunch and replaced the steeping kettle of tea on the low flame twice. She hadn't really spoken much to him since this morning, but he hadn't gone out of his way to speak to her either. Mainly because every time he looked at her he was reminded of the embarrassing agony that had been the morning.

God, waking up with his arm and leg wrapped around Jade was bad enough. Waking up with *that* embarrassing reaction was almost too much to reflect on. Even telling himself repeatedly that it was a natural, biological reaction didn't make it any easier. Mostly because if he paused to be completely honest about it, he had been enjoying the moment. Not *that* moment, but the moment before, when she curled into his body and he wrapped his arm around her. 

That had felt good. He'd never experienced waking up besides someone before. He'd never realized how secure and right with the world everything could feel when there was a warm body beside you. Especially when that warm body leaned into you, open and trusting, without a care in the world.

There was something horribly twisted about that line of thought.

And he had to sleep with her again tonight.

"Find anything?"

The subject of his thoughts drew his attention, startling him from those thoughts. Megabyte managed to keep a grip on the journal, although he did jump slightly in the chair. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You were sort of zoned out," Jade replied softly. She leaned against the cabin door, more subdued than Megabyte had ever recalled seeing her. Despite the fact that he didn't want to spend the rest of the day and night arguing with her, he would have liked to see some of her usual fire and tenacity. That would at least be something remotely resembling normal in a place where everything was very abnormal.

"I was thinking," Megabyte put the journal aside. "Trying to figure things out, you know?"

"And?" Jade prompted.

"Nothing," Megabyte shrugged. "I don't know how we got here. I don't even know where we are really. Except that we're on a ship headed home -- which happens to be someplace called Elspera Keep -- and that we happen to have been given the starring roles in some medieval fantasy."

"Do you know anything else about us?" Jade ventured into the cabin slowly, closing the door softly behind her. She paused in the center of the room, and then apparently at a loss, she sank to the bed. "I mean, about who we're supposed to be?"

Megabyte glanced at her, debating how much of what he read from Marmion's journals he should share with her. Clearly it was no secret that they were together in this - married, husband and wife, the whole nine yards - but, did she really need to know that Marmion utterly despised his wife and his marriage? That the feelings his alter-ego harbored towards her alter-ego made Megabyte's callous behavior towards Jade seem at times benign?

"Not really," was the answer that Megabyte finally settled upon. He closed the journal and set it aside. "We're married, we're headed home and we're related to royalty. Or at least I - Marmion - is."

Jade's eyes lit up at the mention of the word 'royalty,' and Megabyte was only mildly surprised. Before this moment he had thought that little girls outgrew the dream of being fairy princesses, but apparently he was wrong. "Royalty? Really? What kind of royalty? Are you prince? Does that mean that I'm a princess?"

"No, squirt, that's not what it means at all." Megabyte saw her flinch with the title of 'squirt,' and hurriedly plowed ahead before she could become all pouty-faced and defensive once again. He didn't want to spend the rest of this trip stepping on eggshells and trying to avoid hurting Jade's feelings. This unasked for adventure would only be harder to bear if he was not on speaking terms with her. "The prince of Stiborn is my cousin."

"Then that would make the king your uncle?"

Megabyte shrugged. "Well, I wasn't given a family tree or anything. I mean the prince could be a third cousin or a fifth cousin twice removed."

"But we still get to have dinner with the rich and famous," Jade smiled, clearly with delusions of Cinderella-esque balls dancing in her head.

"Jade, we *are* the rich and famous."

Her smile was infectious. "Even better."

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	8. Chapter Eight

### **Chapter Eight: The Damiar Princess of Albarasque **

It was the sound of voices, speaking in soft and hushed tones that awoke Ami. It took her a moment to register the soft murmurs as voices, both female, and it took her even longer to sort through the myriad of words and sounds to realize that they were not speaking English. As she came more fully awake, and her brain began to process at higher rates, the language, though not English, became more familiar to her. It was a hybrid mixture of several languages, but somehow her mind began to latch onto the words — first nouns, then verbs, and then her mind began to fill in all the blanks in between — enough for her to interpret what was being said. 

". . . is not the sort of thing that the . . ." Ami's mind couldn't translate the term, though it tried to, and then she stored it away for later reference. " . . . wants to happen at this time. This is completely unacceptable."

"I'm sorry," the second voice was softer, a bit timid, "Nynie you must believe me, I did not realize that the princess would —"

"You must learn to anticipate what she will do. Amideira is quite resourceful. I can not keep up with her. You did well at the sister-house, I had hoped —"

"She is different here, Nynie. She is . . . reckless and unrestrained. She obeyed the rules at the sister-house, but here within the Sun Palace . . . I am not making excuses for myself. I erred, certainly, but I am not yet accustomed to . . . to the free reign she is given here. This would be unacceptable at the sister-house."

The other voice, somewhat older if Ami judged correctly, snorted loudly. "She is spoiled. You may as well say it. It is no secret, Sephrine. Amideira is a spoiled child and she always has been. It is simply been by the hand of the gods and fate that I have managed to reign her in as I have."

French and Spanish. As her mind worked furiously to translate, Ami recognized the languages being spoken as a seamless mixture of French and Spanish, leaning heavily towards French. She was grateful for her time growing up around her grandparent's home in West Africa. In her early years French had been almost a second language to her, and although these days she seldom spoke it, as she lay listening it began to come back to her. 

Of course, that didn't answer the question of why there were voices speaking in French in the background. 

The only way she would get that question answered was going to be to open her eyes, and start asking questions.

Opening her eyes came first, and she groaned and squinted as she did so. The room was brightly lit and the beams of afternoon sunlight boring into her eyes made her head hurt. The second thing she noticed, after dealing with the bright light, was the brocade canopy that covered her bed, obscuring her sight of the ceiling. From the canopy hung down lace and brocade draperies that swaddled the bed and covered it on all sides. 

This was not her bed. Not that she hadn't had her doubts when she heard the women speaking, but she didn't like the confirmation of her doubts. This was not her bed, and the simple chemise that covered her was not a part of her normal wardrobe.

Something very strange was going on here.

Well, duh, Ami could hear Megabyte's words in her mind.

At the thought of her friend, Ami sat up quickly, ignoring the stab of pain that shot through her skull. She reached out with her mind, searching for her fellow Tomorrow People — and finding nothing. She couldn't sense them at all. She could sense the two women in the room, she could sense many minds all around this place, but she could not sense her fellow Tomorrow People.

Oh no. This was not happening.

The only thing that saved Ami from a full-fledged panic was the draperies of the bed being drawn back to reveal the faces of two women. Presumably the two women she had been listening to speak. 

One was an older woman, perhaps in her mid-forties, her hair hidden beneath a long, colorful scarf of some sort. She had what Ami thought of as 'all-seeing' eyes because the depths of them told you that this was not the sort of woman who let anything slip past her awareness. Her skin was dark, what Ami had once heard her grandmother call 'velvet dark', the color of strong, black coffee. The woman reminded Ami of a matron, and all of her instincts told her this was not a woman she wanted to anger.

The other woman was, as Ami had surmised, younger. She was perhaps Ami's age, maybe only a few years older, and she had that perfect, model like beauty that Ami had always envied in other girls. Her cinnamon brown skin was absolutely flawless and she peered down at Ami through green-gray eyes. Her hair too was hidden beneath a scarf, although hers was not as colorful as the older woman's, but rather a simple blue and silver that matched the blue and silver dress she wore.

"Well, look who decided to rejoin the land of the living," the older woman quipped. Her voice was sharp, but there was a look of infinite warmth and affection in her eyes. "Perhaps that will teach you to meddle with the elements that you aren't ready for yet."

Ami opened her jaw, then snapped it shut. She really couldn't respond to the woman's quip because she had no idea what the woman was talking about. She also wasn't certain that her ability to string sentences together in French would be as easy as her ability to understand them. 

The older woman quirked a smile. "No excuses? Are you certain she did not hit her head, Sephrine? I've not known Ami to be so soft spoken."

It took Ami a minute to realize that the younger woman was being addressed as Sephrine. It took her another moment to register the fact that the older woman had called her Ami.

What in the bloody hell was going on?

"I checked twice, Nynie," Sephrine's voice was as soft and sweet as her looks. "She is — physically uninjured."

"Yes, well, mental remains to be seen," Nynie snorted. Ami could tell this woman had honed snorting to an art. "How do you feel, child?"

For the first time, Ami actually fully understood Jade's aversion to being called 'kid' or any similar derivative. Being labeled 'child' made her bristle a bit. Even though she said nothing because she didn't want to anger or annoy these people — who might be her only connection to home — she could tell by the woman Nynie's snort, this one of a different sort than before — that her bristling shone through.

"Don't you start with me. I've raised you, and I'll call you 'child' all I want. You may be betrothed, but you aren't married yet. And even when you are, I'll still call you 'child.' 

"Now, tell me, how do you feel?"

Betrothed?

This was not happening. This could not be happening.

"My head hurts," Ami answered, hoping and praying that she had gotten the words right.

"That's to be expected when you're messing with the elements the way you were. You're lucky you didn't burn yourself out." Nynie patted her hand, but her eyes were steely. "Betrothed or no, you're not too old for me to take a switch to. Don't ever forget that." 

"Sephrine, bring her some moleswort tea. It should ease her head. And, in the meantime, Your Highness, you will remain in bed and rest. I'll not have you miss supper with your parents tomorrow. 

"No books, no lute, and no spell weaving."

Ami could only stare in dumbfounded silence as Nynie swept out of the room, closing the door loudly behind her.

Highness? Betrothed? Spell-weaving?

Ami didn't think that whatever moleswort tea was, that it was going to do anything to soothe the pounding ache in her head.

****

Ami was wrong. The moleswort tea did more than soothe — it managed to put her right back into a positively comfortable slumber. But not before she had tried — and for the most part failed — to get any useful information out of the younger woman, Sephrine. It wasn't that Sephrine wasn't knowledgeable, Ami was positive that the woman was; it was simply difficult to get information when the person you were questioning wasn't aware that anything unusual was going on.

Her instincts told her that it was probably not the wisest idea to mention to these people that she was Ami Jackson and *not* their princess. Of course, it did seem that she *was* their princess. She looked like their princess, as could be told from their reactions to her, and they found nothing unusual in her mannerisms or speech but . . .

Bloody hell, it simply didn't make sense. It was all tied into that peculiar vortex, but without the others here, she couldn't try to find out any information about the vortex either. It was at the moment that Ami began to think about the others and feel her eyes bubbling up with tears, that the tea began to work its magic. Rather than begin to bawl her eyes out at her predicament — and certainly upset Sephrine — she had fallen into a deep sleep.

It must have been a deep, much needed sleep because Ami felt ten times better upon waking. The sun had set and her room was empty, so after a last futile effort to sense and find her friends, Ami gave up. She had to hope that eventually they would miss her and try to bring her back — if they could find her at all.

Banishing the last part of that much unwanted thought, Ami decided to venture out of bed. If she had been sucked into some strange world where she wasn't who she thought she was, then she needed to find out who she was supposed to be in this world. She could not accomplish that by spending the rest of the night and all day tomorrow in bed.

Her feet encountered a heavy braided rug as she swung her legs out of the bed. A quick glance around revealed a bit more about this world than she had been able to glimpse earlier. There was no electricity; a few lit candles provided what light she needed and the room was obviously heated by a central fireplace. At the moment, though, the fireplace was unlit, and while the room was cool it was not uncomfortably cold.

The first thing Ami did was take a good look at herself in the mirror. She didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned that she looked exactly as she had when she saw that vortex on the beach. Aside from the substitution of a simple chemise for her jeans and shirt, and the white scarf that both hid and held her hair back away from her face. And the single piece of jewelry she wore hung closely near the base of her throat — a silver crescent moon pendant etched with a lion and a rose and on the back, glyphs that reminded her of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

The association hit home immediately and Ami gripped the pendant in her hand, holding it close to the mirror to inspect it carefully. It couldn't be related, could it? That vortex couldn't have been Sam Rees reaching through time? Anything was possible, and this was one possibility that Ami could not discount.

She was a heartbeat away from tearing the thing from her throat when she heard a voice behind her.

"I still can't get over how absolutely exquisite it is." 

Ami's eyes met Sephrine's in the mirror, even as she jumped and yelped, not having heard the woman enter. 

"What?" That was the only response that Ami could choke out while her heart pounded in her throat. Too late she realized that she had choked it out in English.

Sephrine did not notice. Or rather she did notice, but did not treat it as unusual. With a nod the woman — perhaps a lady-in-waiting — Ami still didn't want to think too hard about that — switched to English as well. She spoke slowly, with an accented voice, but not with too thick of an accent. "The Temple symbol. And his House markings as well. It surprises me that it is so perfect and so beautiful. Remember, at the sister-house, we spoke of how we did not think those northern barbarians were capable of such fine work.

"Yet, there it is. A gift from your groom. A perfect fit. Like he knows you already."

Ami stared at the reflection of the pendant. "A gift. From my . . . groom?" Ami nearly choked on the last word. This place was unusual enough, but she was being given too much information to process at once. There was the title of Highness and the ladies in waiting, the mention of casting spells and the lingering betrothal. 

It made her head spin again.

Sephrine smiled, and for the first time, Ami noticed that the woman carried a covered tray. Placing it on the table, Sephrine continued to speak, "I can not blame you if you are still unhappy about it. I can't imagine anything worse than being married to one of those — savages."

"Sephrine—" Ami opened her mouth to ask a question, only to be cut off as the woman turned and faced her, wringing her hands.

"I know it is not proper to say, Your Highness, but I have tried prayer and meditation and . . . I envy you. I can not seem to find your center of calm and acceptance in this matter of state. I know that it is your duty to marry the High Prince of Stiborn. I know that it is my duty and my obligation, which I carry out because of my love you like a sister, to learn to live in that land among them, but it still unsettles me."

Ami tried to ignore the honorific and all the implications that came with it. "It unsettles me as well, Sephrine." Well, that wasn't a lie. The thought of marrying a strange man in a strange country *did* unsettle her. It was even more unsettling when one of her maids clearly thought the people of that country were barbarians, and was more than a little unsettled by going there.

"Yes, but the seer has at least assured you that he is a good man, whatever the reputation of his people. But living among them . . . their customs are so different from ours. I can not imagine walking around with my face unveiled in public. And their women . . . do it constantly."

Ami felt her eyebrows rise clear to her hairline at the mention of wearing a veil in public. So, not only had she been unceremoniously dumped in a world that she knew nothing about, set to marry a — prince! — that she knew nothing about, she was also dumped into a part of the world that could possibly be some sort of heavily patriarchal society.

Which would certainly explain being shipped off to marry a "barbarian" if Sephrine's words were to be trusted.

Lovely.

Just lovely.

Going home anytime now would be nice.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	9. Chapter Nine

### **Chapter Nine: Swords & Sorcery **

"Your Highness wouldn't be headed off towards the practice grounds in such a hurry would he?" 

Adam gave a quick glance at the man who had fallen into step besides him, opened his mouth to respond and, realizing that he lacked a response that the man would find suitable, promptly closed it again. He raked his hands through his hair, looking left and right for an escape, any escape, but knowing that there wouldn't be one to be found. "No, Stewart, I thought that I would spend some time in the library this afternoon."

Stewart Avonar, Adam's personal guard, snorted derisively. A good head taller than Adam with a wiry frame and eyes as black as, and Adam would wager as sharp as, a hawk's, he was a man given wide berth by those who did not know him. Even those who did know him in the Palace still watched him as though he was a mad dog that might bite at any moment. It was a reputation Adam had discovered that the man had earned through his battle scars, including the ugly one that ran from under the ridge of his left eye right to his chin, and his sword skill. Defender of the Lady Carrina before she married Prince Martine, he now fulfilled his duties as Defender of the Heir to the Lion Throne. Unfortunately for Adam, Stewart believed that one of his purposes was to train Adam in all things tactical and weaponry - the most important of these was sword training.

The very idea of picking up a sword made Adam cringe inside, so he spent as much time and effort as possible avoiding Stewart. However, five days was not enough time to learn the Palace inside and out, and it was inevitable that Stewart would catch up with him.

And so he had.

"I think that you've spent more than enough time in the library." Stewart's eyes darted left and right, always moving in the well-traveled halls of the Palace, as though he expected an ambush at any moment.

What made Adam more than a little uncomfortable around Stewart was the realization that the man *did* expect an ambush at any time. That was the way Stewart had been trained and raised. Adam knew he should be grateful for that; the real prince probably was extremely grateful. It meant that he wouldn't have to worry about a knife in the back -- at least not that it would come as a surprise. And if it did happen to strike his back, there was no doubt in Adam's mind that the assassin would have his throat slit before Adam's heart stopped beating.

Adam repressed a shiver at the acknowledgement and forced the thoughts away.

Happier thoughts, happier thoughts, he repeated the mantra uselessly to himself. Happier thoughts were hard to come by when in the company of a man who wore his sword like it was an extra and much needed appendage.

"Just trying to prepare myself for what's ahead."

"Maybe you should prepare yourself to defend yourself. Just because King Palgar is appeased today doesn't mean that he won't wage war tomorrow."

"You always think that someone is going to declare war on us tomorrow." Adam didn't know that from his few conversations from Stewart; that was information that he gleaned from his numerous conversations with Hagen. The prince's cousin -- his cousin for all intents and purposes -- was more than happy to allow his tongue to wag freely when he knew his words fell on no one's ears but Adam's. The more wine provided, the more freely the tongue wagged.

"And you still seem to think that you are going to live forever." Stewart stopped and stared down at him, his voice hard, "There is more to being a king than knowing how to order around water spined nobles and which words will offend what kingdom. Being king is also about being a soldier and a warrior, Adam. Your father knows this; he learned it well. And you would be best served to learn it as well before you sit upon the Lion Throne.

"I shall see you on the practice grounds on the hour. If I have to come for you again, I will make the work out that much harder on you and you will wish that you were nothing more than a water spine."

The man turned and stalked away, his words leaving no room for argument -- even had Adam been able to think of a convincing argument.

****

The practice grounds were a large, open field walled off near the barracks of the Palace. They could be reached by underground tunnel and over ground paths, and both ways of travel were well used. The practice grounds received heavy use on a daily basis, the king's soldiers and his knights practiced here, and the clanging of steel and twanging of bowstrings could be heard long before one reached the practice grounds proper. All around the edges of the grounds were stone and wooden benches, and above were balconies from which the training sessions could be watched. Adam had had the opportunity to peek in once or twice, with Hagen as his guard, quickly ducking out again before Stewart spotted him. On those occasions, he and Hagen crept around the balconies, doing their best to remain in the shadows; today, he walked out into the open, doing his best to pretend that this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Hagen walked with him, a fact that Adam was uncertain whether to be pleased or displeased about. The full of Adam's knowledge on swordsmanship came from his scant years of fencing, and somehow he was quite certain that a fencing foil and an epee were far cries from the gilded hilted weapons of sharpened and polished steel. He knew he was quite possibly on the verge of making a very big fool out of himself, or even worse, revealing himself for the imposter that he was. There didn't however appear to be any way out of this, short of a miracle, and so far one had not occurred.

Hanging in a scabbard at Adam's side was his own personal sword. A work of art, for all that Adam knew about swords, if he had truly had the time to admire and appreciate it. The hilt was decorated again and again with the lion and the rose of his House, and although Adam thought it might have been imagination, it did feel like it *belonged* to him when he tied the scabbard around his waist. Although he had found it odd that he should come to practice with his own sword; but Hagen had seemed surprised that Adam wasn't taking it along, so he followed what appeared to be the norm in this situation.

Stewart was waiting for them, and not very patiently. 

"You're late," he bit off.

"Sorry," Adam apologized.

"Sorry will cost you an arm or leg, or perhaps your throat in the heat of battle. Remember that."

So much for the hope of a morale boosting before he made an idiot of himself.

"We begin," Stewart nodded. "You know the exercises. Unsheathe the sword. Use it as your center and together allow mind and magic and spirit to merge. Surrender and become one."

There was a tenderness in Stewart's voice that Adam would not have imagined the man could have had he not heard it with his own ears. Apparently, there were some things in the world that even Stewart had a soft spot for. Okay, the soft spot was for an item of death and destruction, but it was still a soft spot.

Figuring that it was better to do as he was told, and knowing that he had already managed to score a black mark against his name today, Adam gripped the sword by the hilt and pulled it free. 

The moment that he did, the world spun away from him. Sharp barb, like needles bit into the palms of his hands and the world exploded in red and black. A power like nothing he had ever imagined or dreamed in his life washed over him, both drowning him and lifting him at the same moment. He was surrounded by the purest of raw energy, molten fire and liquid ice tumbling around him, tossing him about in the middle of a storm. He could not see, he could not hear, there was nothing but him and the power of life, the essence that was all things.

How he knew this, Adam didn't know. The knowledge came from someplace deep inside of him, some long forgotten intuition when man had been closer to the world than he was now. 

He knew what this was.

This was the sword. This was the magic. Magic was the life. And the sword fed it to him.

And it devoured him.

"Surrender!" The words came from a disembodied voice, beyond himself, beyond the torrents that surrounded him.

Sssssssssurrender. Sssssssssurrender. It sang to him, it begged of him.

Surrender . . . came more easily than he thought.

And when he surrendered, no longer resisting the power that reached into him, the torrent stopped. Suddenly he was filled simply with energy, energy all around him, different colors and different feelings -- joy, sorrow, love, hate, envy, ecstasy -- they all moved and flowed against him; they all were apart of him and he a part of them.

He knew the sword, this sword which had moved from generation to generation. This sword that cleaved itself to him, that made it an extension of himself. What he did not know, the sword did; what he needed to learn, the sword would teach and the magic would be its guide.

By the time the lesson was over, Adam felt as though his entire body had been wrung dry. And even then sheathing the sword -- the very item that he had not wanted to unsheathe to begin with -- was a lesson in self-control and restraint. He slumped to the nearest bench, not caring what Hagen or Stewart had to say about it. He had wrestled with a powerful force of magic, and never having done so before he had come out on top. 

He now knew more about this world's magic than he ever wanted to know. 

"Next time, you will be better prepared," Stewart said before departing.

Next time? 

With any luck, Adam hoped that there never was a next time.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	10. Chapter Ten

### **Chapter Ten - **

Adam didn't have that sort of luck and battle practice became the part of his day that he dreaded the most. He could not avoid Stewart, though he did try. Yet, it didn't matter what part of the Palace that he took refuge in, the man found him -- or sent word to him that he expected. It wasn't that Adam could not handle a sword, he could handle a sword passably with what he recalled from fencing and far too many Three Musketeers movies. However, what he could not handle was **his** sword and the power force that flowed through him and became one with him the moment the sword was activated.

Activation was the key, although Adam hadn't realized that on the first day. In his fumbling and worry about being exposed as an imposter, he had touched the thumb impression that activated the needle barbs which he recalled biting into his hands before the world exploded in color. The needle barbs drew his blood, and it was his blood that activated the sword as a magic channel; his blood that pulled the power forth. And although he now knew that he could avoid that type of activation, it made him extremely uncomfortable to know that the sword responded to his genetic makeup as though he truly was Prince Adam Aldaric. The examination of that made his thoughts head in directions that Adam would prefer for them not to go.

The sword, Adam had learned from Hagen when he poured enough ale into the man, was one of many made especially for the royal houses of Stiborn. It was the one mystery, the one legacy that tied the Fifteen Royal Houses to the Temple of Damiaren. No one knew when or how the swords had come to be commissioned - built and forged at the finest steel in the forges of Zolnar, the god of war, with the finest and purest of steels - and then imbued with the ability to channel magic at the Temple of Damiaren. Not a temple - but the High Temple that was seated in Di'alsol, the capital of Albarasque. 

Most who owned one of these swords, called the Swords of the Houses simply enough, did not realize what they truly held. The swords were passed from generation to generation, saw battles and wars, but a majority of the men who held them had no affinity to the magic of the world and in their hands a Sword of the Houses was simply a finely crafted heirloom and weapon. The rarest of the rare, one each generation if the fates were willing, did have an affinity for magic, enough to truly appreciate and use such a sword.

The High Prince Adam Aldaric had been one of those rare individuals - and for whatever bizarre reason, Adam in his place retained that ability. But from what Adam understood his abilities, or at least those of the true prince, had gone beyond sensing the magic and learning to use it with the sword; the prince was mageborn in his own right and in his hands the sword was both a weapon that could deliver incredible destruction and a channel that could create powerful magic. 

It wasn't something that Adam wanted to toy with.

Hence the reason that Adam had taken to abducting Hagen from whatever pretty maid caught the man's eye, and dragging him the practice grounds right after dusk and sometimes before dawn. Whatever happened, Adam did not want to activate the Sword anymore than was necessary, but in order to do that, in order to hold his own in sparring sessions against Stewart and the King's Knights and the Soldiers, he had to become familiar with basic sword fighting. When Hagen questioned him, he merely remarked that he thought he was becoming too dependent on the Sword's magic; Hagen accepted that reasoning and asked no more questions.

Oddly enough, both Hagen and Stewart possessed one of these Swords of the Houses. Hagen admitted as much freely when ale and promises that he could return to his warm bed and buxom redhead-serving maid when Adam was done with him loosened his tongue. To Hagen, it was merely another sword; however, in Stewart's hands it was so much more. The man might not have been considered mageborn, and he certainly scoffed at the learnings and teachings of Damiaren and the Circle of Mages of Stiborn, but he understood the Sword; he understood the need to surrender to its will in order for two to become one. An oddity, because by all rights Stewart was neither of royal blood nor a member of any of the Fifteen Houses.

In fact, it was his affinity for the magic and his ability to use the Sword of the Houses as it was meant to be used that gave Stewart his position first as Defender of the High Lady Carrina, and now as the Defender of High Prince Adam Aldaric. The illegitimate half-brother of the Queen, his presence alone, which should have been scandalous and reproachful, marked how much stake was placed in those men who had an affinity for the magic -- even if they could not fully use it. Stewart had no titles, and he did not ask for any; Adam thought that the man would actually have balked if such an offer were made. He did not refer to the man as Uncle, and Queen Carrina never referred to him as her brother, although there could be no mistaking that she had affection for the man who had been raised at her side to protect and defend her. He was simply Stewart, Defender of the High Prince, and anyone who had a problem with that . . . well, they never said so in public places.

Adam was beginning to realize that the longer he remained in this world, the more deeply he became embroiled in it; so much to the point that he sometimes was beginning to forget that this was not *his world.*

That attitude showed itself most prevalently when he had the opportunity to sit and sup with or go riding alongside the King, a man who was nothing like the man Adam had called father aside from the physical resemblance. He enjoyed the older man's company, enjoyed the affection and love he saw in the other's eyes, and lived for those family moments. 

Which Adam realized was precisely the reason that Stewart now had him pinned to the ground, the very pointy and sharp tip of Stewart's Sword pressed against Adam's throat. Lost in his thoughts, he had not seen Stewart's maneuver, had not guessed that the move was a feint until his feet were kicked from under him and both his head and his rear met loudly and harshly with the ground.

"When men see their leader fall, they panic and lose all heart," Stewart lectured, pressing the Sword forward a bit more, allowing Adam to really feel the sharp bite of the steel. Stewart's lessons were never easy ones. "Your men have just been given a hard blow. How long do you think they will continue to fight?"

"Until I'm dead?" 

"You are dead."

"Not yet. There's still a chance you could be run through from behind." Where the cocky attitude came from, Adam did not know. It seemed that getting cocky with a man who had a sword to your neck wasn't a wise decision, but Stewart encouraged him to speak his mind; when Adam held back a thought or two, the man always knew it and the practice sessions became harder. 

Stewart snorted, the blade did not move, leaving Adam effectively pinned until the man chose to release him. "Youth thinks it will live forever. You will not, Adam, and the sooner you get that into your head, the better off you will be. Or would you give your new bride widow's black during the first year of marriage?"

Now it was Adam's turn to scoff. Stewart saw conspiracy and spies in every corner; the man seemed to convince that King Palgar to the east was only lulling them into complacency so that he could strike a killing blow. "King Palgar hasn't moved in years. He isn't even preparing an army. And once this marriage . . ." Adam paused, it was still hard to think about the impending nuptials with a woman that he did not know, a woman that was in actuality meant to be the wife of the man he was only pretending to be, "Once this marriage is sealed, we'll have Albarasque and their navy as our allies."

"And because of that, you think the threat is gone?" Another push with the sword.

Adam had enough. Reaching up, he pushed the blade away. The metal bit into his hand, but not deeply, just deeply enough to remind him of the reason why Stewart pulled his strikes and why Adam had to do the same. These were not practice blades - but the real thing. "I think that you are going to ruin the wedding celebration with that attitude. What was that Halista says about sour milk?"

The words that Stewart had been preparing to say in the face of Adam's defiance turned quickly to a scowl as Adam mentioned the name of the prince's former nurse. The woman was older than anyone Adam had ever laid eyes upon, but she was far from feeble. She had been nurse to Adam's maternal grandmother, nurse to the queen, and nurse to the prince, and fully expected to be nurse to Adam's heirs as well. She garnered great respect from all those in the Palace, and she was the only individual there who knew more about magic than Master Ilarms and Stewart combined. 

Rumor was that she had been allowed the pleasure that so few of those outside of Albarasque receive - as a young girl, she had studied at the Temple of Damiaren. Halista wore the silver crescent moon of Damiaren at the base of her throat, and many of her robes were embroidered with the mark of Damiaren. Her manner of dress, long veils which hid all but her pale, pale probing eyes, and dresses that were not layers of shifts and petticoats, but simple buttoned garments of light weight, worn even in the winter, seemed to give credence to the rumors of a youth spent in the desert kingdom. 

Stewart rolled his eyes. "That woman says more than she needs to about matters that don't concern her-"

"Are you saying that the matters of the prince do not concern me, Stewart?" The gravely voice rose from the shadows, startling even the seasoned Defender. The tightness to Stewart's face showed that he did not like being caught off guard. "You're not too old to have your ears boxed by me. I haven't forgotten how, you know."

"Woman, you should not sneak like that!" Stewart growled as Adam slowly picked himself up from the ground.

"And you should better mind your ears and hear what can be heard," Halista waved a finger at him.

"If you didn't weave those spells of silence before rudely--"

Halista snorted and gestured towards Adam as though Stewart had not spoken. "And what manner of teaching is this? You would teach him to be afraid of the sword?"

"Fear of the sword will keep him alive." Stewart stiffened as if realizing that he was on the verge of explaining himself and hurried on gruffly. "I do not tell you how to swaddle up a child, so do not tell me how to instruct in swords."

"Fear will make him be stupid," Halista argued. Her eyes fell on Adam, her voice softening, "He knows what will protect him, he knows how to use the Sword. It is that he is afraid of, still. You will never be the blademaster that you can be, sweet prince, if you do not embrace it -- all of it."

"Magic," Stewart shoved his Sword into its scabbard so loudly that it echoed. He gave a curt nod to Adam, "Tomorrow morning, Adam. Try to be on time for once."

Adam watched him go, and then took his time sheathing his own Sword. Anything to avoid that penetrating gaze that Halista fixed upon him. If there was one person he avoided more than Stewart it was Halista. He at times felt like the woman was seeing through him, right into his very soul. 

She laid a hand lightly upon his arm. "Aldaric," Halista never called him Adam for reasons that he didn't even ask about, "There is so much power inside of you and so much fear. You must leave the fear behind and embrace what you can be; your wife does not fear the magic that is a part of all of us."

"Bride," Adam corrected her automatically.

"Semantics, but if it gives you comfort," Halista shrugged to show that it was no concern of hers. "You did not call upon the Sword today. You have not for many days, sometimes weeks, yet you will play with spells that are beyond your scope and think nothing of it. You are afraid to share yourself with the Sword. Someday, it may be the only thing that saves your life."

Then she smiled and patted his arm. "I am tired now. Walk an old woman to her room, will you, sweet prince?"

The change in demeanor told Adam that the conversation was ended. And for that he was glad. If there was one thing he did not want to talk about with Halista, it was about using the magic that was wrapped up in that blasted Sword.

***

King Martine looked up and smiled in welcome as Adam entered the private dining room of his parent's apartments. King Martine and Queen Carrina had an entire wing of the Palace to themselves, and there were days when they did not emerge from that wing. A small study, private library, private kitchens and private dining room gave the king and queen an opportunity to escape from the world around them from time to time. 

"Frivolous perhaps," the King had remarked once in passing, "But it does keep us sane."

Today, the king, his father, raised his goblet. "Ah, Adam, you are here."

Adam closed the doors behind him, purposely ignoring the way Tara lifted up from one of the sofas and stuck her tongue out at him. It was a game they played -- making faces at one another to see whom would be caught first or who laughed the quickest. "Sorry, I'm late. I was --"

"Caught up in battle practice with Stewart," the king nodded, "We've heard. Stewart was quite informative."

"And I was watching from the balcony," Tara announced. "And you nearly got hacked."

"Tara!" Queen Carrina, beautiful and golden, leaned over and cuffed the girl lightly on the back of the head. "I'm going to have to have a word with Halista about your past times and your language."

Tara sulked, but was wise enough to not argue with her mother.

Adam fished for an explanation and then chose to tell the truth. "I was --"

"Distracted?" The king volunteered.

"Yes," Adam nodded sheepishly.

"Distraction is inevitable, Adam. You must learn to call upon the Sword and filter these things out. Distraction is--"

"Understandable under the circumstances," Queen Carrina cut in. She floated to Adam's side, with the grace of a cat, slipping her arm through his. "He is getting married, Martine. He's allowed a bit of distraction."

"I wasn't distracted before my wedding."

"No, you were too concerned with your prized mare going into foal to be distracted by something as plain and simple as your betrothed." A smile covered her face and laughter shone in her eyes as she said the words.

"You were never plain, Carrina." The emotion in King Martine's eyes made Adam suddenly wish that he were elsewhere. 

To distance himself from the personal moment that the king and queen shared with simple eye contact, Adam focused on Tara. He crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue, which promptly sent the princess into a fit of giggles.

"Oh you two," the queen's attention returned to her children and she shook her head. "Come, let's eat before the food is cold. And we can discuss the preparations of the royal apartments for the new groom and bride--"

"Women's talk," King Martine grunted, slapping a muscular arm around Adam's shoulder and wresting him from the queen. "You save those words for Lady Margot. In the meantime, Adam and I shall discuss the wedding hunt -- I think you will very much like what I have planned . . ."

With an apologetic smile to the woman who could have been his mother, Adam allowed himself to be led away. He would enjoy this why it lasted, the one thing he never had -- family.

***

The days began to blur. While Adam never lost count of the number of days he spent in this odd world in his new persona, he quickly became acclimated to what went on around him. His days were divided between sword-fighting lessons with Hagen and Stewart, deep and heartfelt lectures from Master Ilarms on all things that the scribe felt the future sovereign of the kingdom should know, and attempts to remain awake and alert when he attended meetings with the King and the King's advisors. The latter chore was the worse of all of them.

Adam enjoyed the gift that this world gave to him - the chance to have and know a father. And Martine of Loriag was exactly the type of man Adam would have loved to have for a father. A born leader, as any king should be, a man who commanded the respect of everyone around him. In public, the strong leader; in private, a family man that was not afraid to show his family how much he cared. 

Still, there was not enough activity to distract Adam from the fact that this was not his world nor his place, and that he had to find a way home. Whenever he managed to get a free moment to himself, Adam spent it in the library. He studied maps, he read books and he tried to discover what had brought him here. It didn't seem such a far stretch to believe that the portal he had seen had been a source of magic - but that did not answer the question of how and why he was here . . . or where the others were.

Adam had given up trying to contact them telepathically. Although there were times he thought that he could sense Jade and Megabyte, somewhere deep in the back of his mind, in a little corner that was just out of reach, he wasn't entirely convinced it wasn't wishful thinking. If his friends and fellow Tomorrow People had been there, Adam knew that he would have heard from them by now; until he learned otherwise - a notion that he found doubtful in the least - he was on his own.

And the most disturbing thing about that concept was the longer that he remained here, the less frightening the prospect of being here alone - possibly forever - became.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	11. Chapter Eleven

### **Chapter Eleven - Reflection**

Albarasque was beautiful at sunset. Or rather, the capital, Di'alsol was breath-taking and magnificent. The entire capital city sprawled out around them, the center star of a desert oasis, and it was one of the most beautiful sites Ami had ever seen. During the day, an opalescent sheen covered the city; a shifting and changing rainbow-hued fire that blazed beneath the stones. And during sunset, the effect was even more spectacular. Every building, every rooftop, caught the red and orange hues and painted themselves with them, covering themselves in multi-colored cloaks.

Standing on the balcony, watching the sunset, had become one of her most favorite pastimes since her strange and still unexplained arrival in this world nearly two weeks earlier. This habit of hers was the one thing that was a constant in a world that she did not understand and yet found herself becoming more and more comfortable with each passing day. She stood here, every night, and drank in the beauty of nature while replaying the day's events in her head. During this time, her quiet time when Nynie left her to her own devices and even Sephrine did not bustle and flutter about in the background, she tired to make sense of it all; she tried to find some clue or some hint to how she had gotten here -- and how she would ever get home again.

Of course, most nights, nothing came to her. And this night was no exception.

Ami knew no more of how and why she was here tonight than she did any other night. What she did know was that with each passing day, this place became less and less strange to her. The halls of the Sun Palace were now nearly as familiar to her as the streets of London; the language of Albarasque sounded as common as English.

But the familiarity came slowly; the first few days had been an adventure to say the least. 

First had been the great undertaking of the veils. Until her third day here, when she, Nynie and Sephrine had ventured beyond the walls of the Sun Palace and into the city proper, Ami detested the very idea that she would be made to hide her face, "for modesty's sake." Her opinion changed very quickly however when she realized the veils actually served a practical use - in a desert kingdom like Albarasque, the veils were a wonderful armor against the windblown sand. Perhaps that was why the women continued to wear them, and the custom remained strong even though in her first few days it became very clear to Ami that this was a matriarchal society.

Although Ami would admit to enjoying the protection the veil offered -- trying to understand the different types of veils -- was quite the undertaking when she was supposed to already be in possession of said knowledge. There were three types of veils -- four if one included the _suldan_, or the headscarf which covered the hair completely. The first was the _kita_, or the partial veil, usually made of lightweight lace dyed dark that wrapped around the head and draped the shoulders, covering only the nose and mouth. The second, the _kitara_, was made of the same material as the _kita_ -- sometimes it was the kita -- only it covered the entire face, but was light enough that someone standing close to a woman could make out her general features. The fourth, the _shoufa_, was the most formal -- and thankfully, the least worn -- of all the veils. The _shoufa_ was a heavy brocade lace, sometimes woven with silk and other materials, and draped over the entire head and shoulders, usually falling to the ankles; always dark in color, it could not be seen through and was quite stifling. The _shoufa_ was reserved for young, unmarried women, priestesses, and important formal occasions such as funerals and worship services.

One minute in the _shoufa_ had been fifty-nine seconds too long for Ami - and it had quickly made her decision that she would avoid leaving the grounds at all if it meant suffering in the _shoufa_ for hours on end. At least within the Sun Palace, she could wear only the _kita_; although Nynie and Sephrine seemed to prefer the _kitara_ any time when they were not alone in chambers. And in the privacy of her chambers -- and within the inner chambers, Ami was permitted to wear only the _suldan_. 

Of course, standing on the balcony where anyone could catch sight of her meant the _kitara,_ but that was a minor inconvenience. Anything to avoid the _shoufa_. 

Veils aside, that had not been the only source of her adventures. The second had been the meeting of her parents -- and for the first time in a very long time, Ami actually missed her mother. For the first time since she could remember, Ami actually wished that the woman who was the reigning sovereign of Albarasque had been more like Sharon Jackson. Yes, her mother was overprotective and overbearing at times, but Ami understood that her mother's action came from love and fear. The Damia Reina, the woman who was her mother here -- or at least Amideira's mother -- was more of a stranger to her than the servants in the Sun Palace. 

The Damia Reina -- Ami found it hard to call her "Mother," although it was the title that the woman preferred -- was a leader and queen in every sense of the world. She held herself with a regal poise and grace that Ami truly envied; but she also held her family -- which included her husband, the Regent, Ami, and Amideira's brother, Prince Calend'et -- at arm's length. Ami had seen no love when she looked into the Damia Reina's eyes; heard no love when the woman said her name.

That hurt in ways Ami didn't even want to begin to consider.

It didn't matter that her father was kind and loving, or that her grandmother let it be known in no uncertain terms that she cherished her grandchildren, the rejection by her mother -- correction, Amideira's mother -- hurt. The woman had shown little interest in her daughter, or the report that Amideira -- never Ami, always Amideira -- had taken ill. And she discussed the upcoming wedding with boredom and disinterest; more than disinterest really, reproach was more like it. The Damia Reina wished to have nothing to do with this wedding and clearly considered her part in it, which entailed leaving the country for nearly three months, a colossal waste of time. 

It didn't help matters any that Prince Calend'et echoed his mother's sentiments and had spent the entire meal attempting to bait Ami and coerce her into an argument. The prince, with all of the knowledge and wisdom of his seventeen years, was more than happy to repeatedly enlighten his 'sister' on the barbaric practices of the Stibornians, and to remind her of how unhappy he was certain she would be away from the Sun Palace.

Ami required no great leaps in logic to discern that Amideira and Calend'et did not share the most loving of sibling relationships. Particularly when it was apparent that he looked forward to her leaving and to her marriage - with Amideira married and living in Stiborn, Calend'et would rule as regent until such time as Amideira provided a daughter to heir the throne -- or Calend'et procured a bride that gave him the same. 

A race to throne for two siblings, but not by clawing at one another's backs. No, this race was a race for children, a race for an heir. The Damiar Princess had a leg up in the race -- after all, she would be married soon -- but that didn't guarantee an heir. Particularly if her husband did not appeal to her -- if he was all those things that the Stibornians were rumored to be.

Instinctively, Ami's hand rose to clutch the pendant at her throat. It was a thing of beauty, perfectly shaped and molded. Each time she touched it or looked at it, it gave her some small measure of peace. If she was to remain here -- playing a role that she had not chosen and pretending to be someone that she wasn't -- then it gave her some small comfort to think that the man who could fashion such a gift was not a rude, self-centered animal. A gift like this spoke of a soul and of depth; it spoke of passion and --

Ami snorted, dropping the pendant. Two weeks here and she was beginning to sound every bit the hopeless romantic that Sephrine was.

Worse than that, she was beginning to *accept* her fate.

That couldn't be tolerated.

Action was what she needed; action was what she took refuge in when she began to feel herself slip into the casual acceptance of circumstance. In this case, action took the form of quiet introspection followed by a gentle tapping into the soft flows of elemental power that surrounded them. Amideira was supposed to be a High Mage, and Ami figured that it was only a matter of time before she would be expected to put some of that talent to use.

But first, she had to tap into it.

The first time, she had been nervous. Ami didn't know anything about magic here -- it's rules or anything else. She questioned Sephrine as covertly as she could and then set about testing the waters that night in her bed. The results had been surprising -- she had felt something burning inside of her, coursing through her. Raw and untamed, trying to mold her to its whim while she tried to grasp what it was; pure power like nothing she had ever encountered. Pure power that eventually won out against her -- Ami awoke the next morning to a splitting headache, mild burns on her hands, and a thirst that she thought could never be quenched.

If she had wondered if she shared Amideira's ability to use magic, she wondered no longer.

She also wisely knew that to continue her 'experiments' unchecked would be very stupid and very dangerous.

Slowly, and with more covert skill than Ami knew she possessed, she wheedled some basic exercises out of Sephrine. Those basic exercises were now what she practiced quietly at night, alone in her room. And so far, since that first night, Ami had done nothing more than blow out her candles by accident - she couldn't even light a fire of her own accord.

But the night was young, and there were still two weeks before she set sail for Stiborn. Several days that she would be at sea. There was time to learn everything that she possibly could - just in case magic turned out to be the only way she could get out of this place.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	12. Chapter Twelve

### **Chapter Twelve - Elspera Keep: Homecoming**

Jade was restless. She was doing her very best to hide it, but Megabyte could tell that the girl was on the very edge of exploding at any moment. The way she perched on the edge of the seat, her face practically pressed up against the carriage glass as she stared out and the countryside raced past them, biting her lip and crinkling her skirts in her hands, she showed all the very positive and obvious signs of nervous energy. He didn't know why he was the only one in the carriage who was aware of it, unless 'the Lady Jadina' had always been the type to show a great deal of nervous energy and excitement, but he supposed it was a blessing that he was the only one aware of it. It helped avoid unnecessary questions and didn't arouse suspicion.

That had been life for the past two weeks - trying hard to avoid unnecessary questions and arousing suspicion. It was bad enough that several times his parents -- Marmion's parents -- whatever -- had made comments about his change in demeanor; comments that he was clearly meant to overhear. A part of him was glad that he was not as big of an ass that Marmion was, but another part of him worried; he was just waiting for the day that one of them asked him who he was and what he had done with their son. 

Worse yet was the fact that he wouldn't be able to answer them. At least not in any fashion that made sense and was acceptable.

[It's so beautiful. Wow! Are you seeing this, Marm?]

Megabyte tried hard not to grimace as Jade's mental voice rang a bit too loudly in his head, using the name that held such echoes of the birth name that he despised. It was only out of necessity that Jade had started calling him Marm, Marmion just didn't sound naturally, and after nearly calling him Megabyte twice in public, they had realized that something had to be done. He didn't like the alternative, but again they were avoiding questions and suspicions.

Unfortunately, she had gotten so used to calling him that name that she even used it in private or when speaking to him telepathically.

[Yeah, Jade, I'm seeing it.] 

She actually turned her face away from the window to look at him. [You don't sound very impressed.]

[I'm … distracted. I've got other things on my mind.] Both to punctuate his words and to keep her from staring at him while she tried to peel away the layers of his mind, Megabyte shifted his attention out of the other window.

Two very long weeks had passed and they were no closer to finding out anything about their arrival in this strange world. Nor had they learned anything that might tell them how to get home. Two weeks in which they played the roles they were assigned to play and hoped that they performed them correctly; improvisation at its very best. Two weeks . . . two weeks of utter frustration.

It wouldn't have been so bad if they had Adam to talk to; the elder Tomorrow Person was always something of a shelter in the storm. Even if Adam didn't know what to do, or where to turn next, he kept control of the situation. He supported them in times like these, and his confidence gave them confidence. But Adam was not there; Adam showed no signs of being there -- anywhere. For all Megabyte knew, Adam might have been blown to another world where there were munchkins singing, a scarecrow who needed a brain and a little girl running around in a pair of ruby slippers and calling for her dog, Toto.

And for some reason, the image of Adam in Oz did not conjure up the humor that it usually did from Megabyte. He was feeling far too close to the end of his proverbial rope. 

Jade did not help matters either. In the absence of their leader, she turned to Megabyte to fulfill the role that Adam played in their lives. He had gone from being follower to leader in the blinking of an eye - literally. 

The question remained . . . what exactly was he leading?

He thought about clicking his heels three times, then remembered that he lacked the ruby slippers.

If only real life was as easy as the movies and television.

[What are you thinking about?] Jade hadn't gone away. She was still tiptoeing around in the back of his mind, just waiting for the opportunity to get his attention again. That was another development that he was still attempting to cope with since coming to this world -- Jade's endless attention. It was worse now than it ever had been; it seemed that she didn't wish to let him out of her sight for more than a few moments at a time. She didn't even want to let a few hours go by where she didn't reach out to him telepathically - reminding both of them that she was there. 

He tried not to get annoyed with her. He really did. On some level, Megabyte could see her concern. He wouldn't want to be trapped here, in a strange place with strange people alone either - and there was really no way he could convince her that he wasn't going to just up and disappear into thin air. For all he knew, he might just wake up tomorrow and be somewhere else. Or Jade might be. It wasn't a pleasant thought and he tried not to dwell on it; but there were times like now when Jade's clinging made him want to take her by the shoulders and shake her until her teeth rattled.

Of course, what bothered him more than Jade's new and highly improved attachment to him was *his* attachment to *her.* Megabyte would never say it aloud; he would never even let her have the slightest hint of what was happening, but he did recognize that they were in this together. They were all they had, and they needed to depend on one another. 

If ever asked or challenged on it, Megabyte would deny it until he was blue in the face. However, he could not deny that when he woke up in the morning and found himself still on a pitching ship, he took comfort in the fact that Jade was sleeping beside him. He wasn't alone; for all his boasting and bragging, he was pretty certain that he couldn't have handled this alone. He'd had more than his share of dealing with things alone - from his father's numerous business trips and his mother's never ending parade of vacations and lectures - no, he'd been alone enough to last a couple of lifetimes.

And a couple of hundred weird worlds. Although, if - correction, when - they got back to their world, Megabyte was going to hope that he never had an adventure like this again.

[Nothing. Everything.] Megabyte bit the response off sharply, and then winced as he sensed the sting of hurt that came from her. He sighed, and reaching across the carriage seat, patted her hand lightly in what he hoped was a deeply sincere and apologetic gesture. [I just need some quiet time, all right?]

[All right.] Her response was small-voiced and meek, but at least it was absent of the hurt and dejection that he felt from her a few moments before. Jade's head turned back towards the window and the passing countryside, but not before she turned her hand palm up, lacing her fingers through his.

With another sigh, Megabyte allowed her that indulgence. As long as it meant she was quiet and not jabbering on about the scenery and her expectations of Elspera Keep.

It hadn't anything to do with the mutual comfort they both received through that tactile contact.

Not a thing.

*****

Elspera Keep truly was a keep in every sense of the word. A miniature castle of gray and grain stone set atop of a small rise, a low valley dappled in the blooms and greens of summer spreading out beneath it. 

Jade's eyes had grown wider from the moment they began their final approach. Her breathless gasps and chorus of "ooh's" and "aah's" had left Lord Bial and Lady Margot, Megabyte still could not think of them as *his* parents, giving her curious and worried looks until, at Megabyte's urging, she explained that she was simply homesick after having been away for so long. That soothed ruffled feathers, worried glances replaced by indulgent and bemused smiles. The knowing glance delivered to him by Lord Bial, and the warm pat on his arm from Lady Margot told Megabyte that in their eyes, Jade's demeanor and attitude towards the keep demonstrated that something was going right between the young couple. 

While they may not have lived in a palace, or truly been royalty, they really were the rich and famous, as Megabyte had told Jade. Over a dozen servants greeted their carriage, and immediately set about unloading things in such an orderly fashion that Megabyte knew this was routine for them. It was, however, still a shock to be greeted with the title of "Lord" and to watch as the man, Legan, who was his personal valet and manservant, bowed and fluttered around him in a mixture of both strained respect and wariness. Legan was not alone in that attitude, all of the servants, with the exception of one, danced around "Lord Marmion" as though they expected him to turn into a lion and pounce upon them for dinner at any minute. It made him again wonder exactly what sort of man his alter ego had been; it made him grateful that he would never have to meet the man face-to-face. At least he hoped that he wouldn't.

The exception to the wariness he felt from each of the servants as he met -- or attempted to meet -- their eyes was in the form of Jade's lady in waiting. Of a height no more than Jade, and certainly not very much older than the young woman she was attending, she was an absolutely stunning beauty. There was no other way to describe her. A heart shaped face with a pixie smile and a dimple beamed lovingly and affectionately at Jade as she embraced the girl as though they were sisters and not lady of the keep and servant. Russet red ringlets framed her face, trailing down the center of her back and her blue eyes sparkled like clear water when she turned to look at Megabyte. There was no wariness as she regarded "Lord Marmion" with a low curtsy that made *him* blush for all the cleavage that her dress revealed.

Megabyte had known girls like this his whole life. He stared at them from across crowded hallways and busy streets, never once even imagining that he would work up the courage to talk to one of them. And if one ever ended up crossing his path, and attempting to engage him in some rudimentary conversation, he always discovered that he very quickly forgot how to form a coherent word.

The dryness in his mouth told him that he had just fallen victim to the same thing again.

Luckily, Legan was there to rescue him before he made a fool of himself. "My Lord, I am sure you will be wanting to get out of your traveling clothes and rest after your journey. And perhaps a small repast?"

"Right," Megabyte nodded, literally jerking his eyes away from the nameless lady servant. From the stance of Legan, he assumed the man would escort him to his room -- and probably lay out an entire new outfit for him to clothe himself in. The thought made Megabyte nearly bolt back into the carriage and flee. Excepting that he had nowhere to go and no reason to flee. He was Lord Marmion and he would have to accept these -- perks. 

He nodded, realizing the man was awaiting an answer. "Yes. Change clothes and eat."

Megabyte waited a heartbeat, and then realized that Legan would not move first. This was not going to be fun or easy. With a sigh, he began walking towards the keep, with his manservant falling into a comfortable pace beside him. He paused for only a moment, turning back and wanting to say something to Jade, to let her know that he would speak to her later, but he didn't have to. For the first time in two weeks, the girl was wholly oblivious to his presence. She brushed past him, her lady servant on one arm, speaking to Jade of how much she was missed and how she looked after her travels.

Jade, naturally, was eating it up. 

"I am certain that Sarena will see to Lady Jadina's needs, as she always does," Legan remarked.

Megabyte jerked his head to look at the man, knowing that he had heard more than a bit of acerbity in the remark. As his eyes landed on Legan again, he saw a flicker - annoyance or disgust, he couldn't be certain - color the mans' features before it faded completely, leaving Megabyte to wonder if he had seen anything unusual at all. 

"Is something wrong, Legan?" Megabyte asked quietly.

The way the man lifted an eyebrow and snorted softly told him that he, or rather Marmion, had probably seen that reaction and asked that question a great many times. "You know that I have no strong opinion one way or another towards Sarena."

Legan made the name sound like a curse. But before Megabyte could call him on it, or at least point out that obvious lie -- something he was certain that Marmion would have done -- the man continued speaking. "I take it your trip was uneventful?"

If the question hadn't been so normal, so typical of what one would ask after a journey, Megabyte would have snorted with laughter. If he had been Lord Marmion, then yes, his trip was uneventful. Megabyte's trip, on the other hand, was far from uneventful.

"As well as can be expected." While it wasn't a lie, it was the most truthful answer Megabyte could give under the circumstances. "But I'm glad to be home."

"And we are glad to have you home."

Now, why did Megabyte get the distinct impression that that was a lie?

****

Megabyte's assumption that Legan would serve as his wardrobe assistant was correct. He was given very little time to take in the details of his bedchamber, after doing his best to memorize the route he and Legan took to find it without looking like he was doing anything out of the ordinary, before Legan was practically demanding that he change from his traveling clothes into something more suitable and "less road worn" for greeting the prince.

"Prince?" Megabyte choked on the word. Yes, he knew from his readings that he was related to royalty; he knew that he was in fact closely acquainted with the prince, but that didn't mean he was ready to meet the man in the flesh. "The prince is coming here?"

"Yes, he sent a missive that arrived only two days ago, stating that upon your return, he would be visiting the Keep. Apparently, he has either missed your company or, and this seems more likely, he comes to give you your orders for the upcoming wedding celebration."

Somehow, without changing the tone of his voice, Legan managed to make Megabyte feel like he was both ten-years-old and not worthy of the prince's attention. Of course, Legan made Megabyte feel like he wasn't worthy of anyone's attention. It made him wonder if there was some sort of feedback cycle going on -- Legan made Marmion feel like a stupid child, so Marmion acted like a stupid child, which caused Legan to treat him like a stupid child. . . so on and so forth.

Well, Megabyte might have looked like Marmion Ruele, but he wasn't. And he wasn't going to rise to Legan's bait. "What kind of orders?"

"You act as though I would know." The attitude and answer alone told Megabyte that Legan did know. Whether the man would tell was another matter entirely. "My Lord, off with those clothes, quickly. His Highness will be arriving shortly."

"Well, His Highness has bad timing," Megabyte grumbled and instantly regretted it. So much for not behaving like a child. He began to unbutton his traveling coat, and looked expectantly at Legan. The manservant made no attempt to leave the room, and figuring it best to not make any waves, Megabyte simply turned his back and stripped out of his clothes. 

"He is the heir. He's allowed these indulgences," Legan remarked, swooping in and scooping up Megabyte's clothes *as* he shed them. It made the Tomorrow Person blush from his toes to his hair, and hope that the man would vanish very quickly. He also hoped and prayed that this was *not* a normal occurrence. If it was -- well, there were about to be some changes in Keep policy. 

"I had a pitcher of water brought in so that you may wash off the road grime," Legan informed him as he gathered up the last of the discarded clothing. "If you are quick about it, it may still be warm. I've already laid out something more suitable to wear, and unless my Lord needs anything else, I will take *these things* to be washed."

"Take your time," Megabyte growled, keeping his back to Legan. He didn't move from where he stood until he heard the door to both the bedchamber and the outer sitting room close firmly behind the man.

He was glad that it was summer. Megabyte imagined that it would be rather cold in the bedchamber in his current state of undress at any other time of the year. He found the pitcher and, after cursing Legan for making him thing the water might be even minutely warm, he quickly scrubbed some of the dirt from his face, arms and chest. Megabyte never realized quite how dirty one got traveling on dusty roads. He hadn't had a bath or shower the entire time since he'd been here - a fact he tried not to dwell on very much - but had grown quite adept at scrubbing clean, shaving, and brushing his teeth, all with one pitcher of water. 

That had been culture shock at first. Scrubbing with a rag that was even more coarse than burlap, with something that was supposed to be soap but didn't lather or do much of anything else other than leave his skin feeling tingly and raw, or maybe that was the rag. Brushing teeth was with a slivered branch, and toothpaste was not existent. The mint leaves that he was supposed to chew with the brushing didn't taste like mint at all - and he gagged the first time he bit into one. And shaving with a straight edge razor, on a pitching ship - well, he was lucky that he hadn't slit his throat.

Still, he would give his right arm for a bath.

He finished scrubbing as quickly as possible and went to find the clothing that Legan had deemed "more suitable." 

"More suitable" clothes were of a much nicer material than his traveling clothes, knee britches and leggings that made Megabyte frown, with a white poet's shirt and a short coat that had more buttons and embroidery on it than Megabyte would have thought possible to put on any single piece of clothing. 

He had the leggings on and the knee britches halfway in place when the door opened again. This time, he forgot his admonishment to not be a child and snapped out, "Believe it or not, I don't need any help getting dressed."

"You usually don't." The voice, which was not Legan's, made him freeze where he stood.

The voice was soft and feminine -- sultry, was the word that came to mind.

Megabyte whirled to face the intruder and felt his jaw drop.

Standing in the doorway of his bedchamber, looking for the entire world as though she belonged there, was Jade's lady servant, Sarena.

His mouth worked, but no sound came forth. He realized that he was still half-undressed and felt his face, as well as other parts of his body, flame as he tugged the knee britches firmly up over his hips and hurriedly attempted to fasten them. 

What was she doing in his bedroom?

"What are you doing here?!" The words came out choked and panicked, his fingers fumbling with the buttons and hooks. 

"I know His Highness is coming and that you have to get ready to greet him, but I'll only be a minute." She moved towards him, that pixie smile now reminding him more of the Cheshire cat than anything else. She didn't walk towards him as much as she seemed to glide across the floor, lashes lowered just enough that he could barely catch the hint of blue of her eyes. Her movements were enough to give him a momentary pause, to bring back the choking dryness and lack of thought -- and other things -- that he associated with beautiful women. 

Pause that was only until her hand came out to rest on his very bare chest, until her body invaded his personal space and she nearly melded up against him. "I just didn't want to let anymore time go by before letting you know how much I missed you."

Missed him?

A heartbeat too late, Megabyte's brain caught up with what was happening in the room and made perfect sense of it. A heartbeat too late, because it only took a heartbeat for Sarena to somehow wrap her arms around him and pull him into an embrace.

If he thought his opinion of Marmion Ruele could go no lower, he was mistaken.

Not only did the man have no respect for his wife or his marriage -- he also clearly had no respect for his wedding vows.

Megabyte stumbled backwards, putting some distance between himself and Sarena's arms and lips. A part of him balked, telling him that there was something very, very wrong with avoiding a beautiful woman. Especially when that beautiful woman was throwing herself at him in ways that were every teenaged boy's fantasy. But he just couldn't bring himself to take advantage of this situation, not when the world was so strange and nothing added up.

Especially not when for all intents and purposes, he was married. Yes, it was to Jade, but he couldn't ignore marriage vows and promises as easily as Marmion. He hadn't been raised like that; not that he thought that Marmion had been. Rotten apples happened sometimes but . . . 

His brain was actually rambling. Sarena made him ramble even when he was thinking to himself.

"Sarena." Megabyte paused, not quite sure what else to say. Get out? Don't touch me? Okay, that was what part of him wanted to say -- the part that was not a nineteen year old male -- but he knew he had to play this right and tread very carefully. He was Marmion Ruele.

And obviously, Marmion Ruele was a complete pig.

He tried again, "Sarena . . . His Highness. . . my cousin . . ."

"Will be arriving very shortly. Don't you have other things to be about, girl?" Legan's dry voice rang out as the man entered the bedchamber. He gave Sarena a snort and a dismissive glare before turning his attention to Megabyte. "I see your time away has made you slow and lazy. We shall fix that.

"And your discretion with the company you keep as well."

If it hadn't been for the disgust with which Legan addressed him, Megabyte would have been ecstatically happy for the man's arrival in time for rescue. As it was, he was still incredibly happy and relieved.

Sarena paled, but only slightly, and then, as if she had experienced this treatment before, she gathered her skirts and swept out of the bedchamber without a backwards glance.

"Legan --"

The manservant cut him off. "Get dressed, my Lord. The prince comes."

With those words, he exited, closing the doors behind him.

Out of the pan, and into the fire.

Megabyte wondered what other surprises this world would hold.

***

[The prince is coming,] Jade's mental voice was giddy with excitement, ringing in Megabyte's head long before he joined her in the courtyard. Not only was she excited to be meeting the prince -- a real prince -- but she was enjoying her life as 'Lady Jadina.' Unfortunately, after Megabyte's encounter with Sarena, and the cold shoulder and chastising glares he received from Legan, he was unable to share in his friend's excitement.

Joining Jade and Lord Bial and Lady Margot, Megabyte suddenly felt himself blushing again. Although Sarena paid no more attention to him than his wife's lady-in-waiting should have, Megabyte instantly felt the barbs of guilt. Guilt for a crime that he hadn't even committed and guilt for not being able to resist gawking at the woman. She was a home wrecker, but she was beautiful.

She was beautiful and she knew it very well.

Instead, Megabyte tried to focus on Jade and the excited gibbering that she was allowing to stream through his head. The way she was carrying on one would have thought that the prince was coming to see her personally. And perhaps, that wouldn't be so far from the truth - or such a bad thing. From what Megabyte had read in Marmion's journal, more than once Prince Adam had expressed disappointment in his cousin that he would treat his wife the way he did, and it seemed that the prince did share a certain amount of fondness for the Lady Jadina. Not in the romantic sense, but certainly on more than one occasion, Marmion made it painfully clear that he wished the prince would get his 'big brother' notions out of his head.

Then again, now knowing about the relationship with Marmion and Sarena, maybe the prince being fond of Lady Jadina was not a good thing at all.

Jade clutched at his arm, [Do you think he's handsome?]

Megabyte rolled his eyes, [Do you think I care? I just want to get this over with.]

[You're no fun,] her voice held a sulk.

[Whatever, kid.] If she had experienced what he had experienced since arriving at the Keep, she wouldn't be as happy as she was at that moment either.

She bristled at the word 'kid,' and stiffened slightly. "Don't call me that!" She hissed aloud, but luckily no one could hear her. Megabyte himself almost did not hear her, her words drowned beneath the sound of horses hooves.

The prince arrived in princely splendor that made Megabyte temporarily forget both Sarena and the young woman clutching his arm who was supposed to be his wife. The carriage that carried the prince was decorated in violets and gold, what could only be the crest of the royal family painted on each side. 

The first to exit the carriage was not the prince, at least Megabyte hoped that it wasn't. The man was tall and wiry, with piercing dark eyes that took in everything around him. His hair was salt and pepper gray, and his hand settled comfortably on his sword as he looked around the courtyard. Evidently seeing that all was in order, he relaxed a bit -- but still reminded Megabyte of a lion ready to pounce.

The second to emerge was a man, a few inches taller than Megabyte and solidly built. Yet, when he exited, he did not have the air of wariness - he in fact, looked around the courtyard, smoothing back his sandy blonde hair and then he smirked - smirked! - and nodded casually in Megabyte's direction. 

[Is that the prince?] Jade asked.

[How am I supposed to know?] Megabyte tossed back at her.

[Jade? Megabyte?] The voice in his head was familiar and he had been too long without hearing it. 

[Adam!] Jade squealed in delight, her fingers nearly yanking Megabyte's arm off. [Adam! You're here, where are you?]

[I'm …oh, hang on] There was a pause while Adam radiated annoyance and exasperation; a pause long enough for the wiry, salt-and-pepper warrior to announce His Royal Highness, High Prince Adam Aldaric.

"Stewart, you know that's not necessary," a familiar voice drifted to their ears as another form emerged from the carriage. 

The salt-and-pepper man actually managed a smile. It didn't soften his features, it only emphasized his hardness, but at least it was a smile.

The prince tugged his short coat and turned to face House Ruele . . . and Megabyte was pretty certain that three faces all drained of blood.

His Royal Highness, High Prince Adam Aldaric was none other than Adam Newman.

Visit the [Worlds Away Website][1]

   [1]: http://www.alternate-realities.net/worldsaway



	13. Chapter Thirteen

### **Chapter Thirteen - Reunion**

"This has to be the world's biggest joke." 

Adam quirked an eyebrow at Megabyte as the redhead slumped into one of the gilded chairs, tugging the buttons of his short coat free. He plucked at the buttons absently, as if he had been wearing short coats his whole life, and Adam couldn't help but wonder if in the two weeks he'd been in this world, if he had become as comfortable in his surroundings as his friend.

The two young men were alone in Lord Bial's private study; for how long Adam didn't know, but he was glad that they could take these few private minutes. For as long as Hagen was content to smile brightly at one of the servant girls that apparently kept his bed -- and other things -- warm while he was at Elspera Keep, and Stewart in conference with Lord Bial, they could speak freely. So far, however, only Megabyte had done any speaking. Correction, Megabyte had spent the last ten minutes complaining.

"I mean," Megabyte continued to grumble, wiggling free of the restrictive coat, "how come I get stuck married to Jade and you get to be a prince?"

Adam nearly choked on a mouthful of the spiced wine. "Way to look at the big picture, Megabyte."

"I am looking at the big picture. I'm *married.* To *Jade.* How much bigger does the picture have to be?" Megabyte scowled.

"Well, *Marmion,* at least you've had Jade."

That quieted the other. Megabyte shifted in his seat, fidgeting while twin roses of red blossomed in both of his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Adam, I didn't mean -- it's just -- well, it's been so weird."

Weird didn't describe the half of it; Megabyte wasn't the only one experiencing "weird," but Adam wasn't going to remind the other of that little fact. He didn't feel like arguing, or even getting into a lengthy debate over who had been more miserable and confused; his friends were here, they were alive, and for now that would have to be good enough.

Waving his hand to dismiss the topic, Adam settled back into his seat. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to see you guys."

"Yeah, same here."

Adam smiled a bit, "You think you could be a little more enthusiastic?"

"Why don't you try spending two weeks married to Jade and see how enthusiastic you would be?"

Leaning forward, Adam fixed his friend with a probing stare. "Has it really been that bad, Megabyte?"

The other man straightened up, opening his mouth to respond and then, meeting Adam's eyes, promptly snapped his jaw closed and slumped back against the seat. He spent a few moments studying the floor, his boots, and even the fabric of his pants before finally looking up at Adam. "Just because I haven't killed her doesn't mean that I like this arrangement."

It was as close to an admission of acceptance that Adam was going to get and he took what he could. Megabyte would never, ever admit to enjoying having Jade around, but Adam knew his friend well enough to be able to read between the lines. And perhaps enjoyment wasn't the right word, but Megabyte hadn't been alone for the past two weeks, and that had to make some kind of difference, however minute.

"I'm sure that Jade admires your restraint," Adam said in response.

"Whatever," it was Megabyte's turn to change the conversation and dismiss the topic, which he did with a slight shrug and a loud kick of his heel against the leg of his chair. He stretched out, making himself more comfortable, one leg tossed idly over the arm of the chair. "So, now what?"

"Now what?" Adam looked at Megabyte over the rim of his goblet. 

"Yeah, what do we do now? You're here and I'm here and Jade's here . . . so, how do we get home?"

"How did we get here?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly."

Megabyte's eyes narrowed. "Way to go with the cryptic, Adam."

"All right, then what do you want me to say, Megabyte? I don't have the answer. I don't know how - or why - we're here. Until I got to the keep today, I wasn't even sure if anyone else was here. For all I knew, I was completely alone in a strange place with strange people and even stranger customs.

[No offense, Megabyte, but I've been more concerned with keeping up appearances than trying to figure anything else. I don't think that the king would take kindly to finding out that I'm an imposter.]

"And why couldn't we call you telepathically?" Megabyte sat up suddenly, nearly splashing his drink down the front of his white linen shirt. Adam didn't know whether he had heard Adam's words and was ignoring them, or was simply following his own thoughts and hadn't heard a word that Adam uttered. "I tried, while we were on the ship, but I couldn't. I could talk to Jade, but we couldn't even sense you."

Adam chose not to take offense at the slight, particularly when Megabyte's words echoed thoughts that Adam himself had entertained. When he first arrived in this world, he thought that he had sensed something - Megabyte and Jade - just beyond the reach of his mind; repeated telepathic scanning and calling had proven futile and he gave it up as wishful thinking, believing that because he thought he saw a glimpse of them on the beach before the black void swallowed him that his mind was playing tricks on him. But they really were here - and had been here - this entire time. And speaking with them telepathically was as easy now as it had been on earth.

Although he hadn't sensed them immediately; however, that could have been because he was no longer trying to.

"This place is . . . different, Megabyte. Maybe the rules here are different."

"What do you mean?"

It was Adam's turn to study the intricacies of the floor tiles and the patterns made by the wrinkles and folds of the material of his breeches. He hadn't thought before he made that observation aloud, and now he was wishing that he had. It was easy to watch his words around Hagen and Stewart, knowing that his life could depend on what was said or not said, but with Megabyte, he forgot himself. And the truth of the matter was he didn't know how much he wanted to tell his friend about the powerful magic of this world; certainly, it was an issue that needed to be discussed, but . . . how much information was too much information, particularly when there was so much that Adam still did not understand.

"Magic."

"Huh?"

"There's magic here, Megabyte. It's real."

"You mean like David Copperfield?"

Adam shook his head. "No, I mean like Merlin. And Gandalf." Even as he said the words, they didn't ring true in Adam's heart; he was pretty certain that what he felt was nothing like what the books described for Merlin and Gandalf. "Or something like that at least."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head? Merlin?"

He had expected a little bit of incredulity. "Okay, then not Merlin. More like -- Willow on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." 

"Uh-huh."

"You're not taking me seriously."

"Are you taking you seriously?"

"Megabyte, do you know what damiar means?" Adam only paused long enough to make sure he had the other's attention. "It means 'priestess-mage' and I've seen a few things that make me believe that they aren't joking or exaggerating when they say that."

"Priestess? Doesn't that kind of mean she can't get married?"

Adam blinked at Megabyte in disbelief, "Have you tried to learn anything about this world the whole time you've been here?"

"Yeah. How to walk on a ship without falling on my face and how to shave with a straight edge without slitting my throat."

Adam opened his mouth to comment, then shook his head with a smile. Until that moment he hadn't realized how much he missed Megabyte and his wisecracks. "Besides that, Megabyte."

"Not exactly. But it wasn't like I could run over to the library and check out a book on Stiborn culture and history. I was on a *boat,* Adam."

"Right." Adam set his drink aside and leaned forward, steepling his fingers together. "Well I did have the opportunity to run over to the library - the Palace has its own." Adam ignored the way Megabyte's eyebrows rose slightly at that announcement, "And I'll tell you one thing, Megabyte, we are not in Kansas anymore."

"No duh."

"Could be worse though. Right now, Stiborn happens to be one of the most powerful kingdoms this side of the Spire Mountains and Eternal Ocean. The only two kingdoms that are even as powerful are Carelle Ichtung to the east and Albarasque. And Albarasque is very soon to be our ally."

"Our ally?"

"For what it's worth, Megabyte, right now we are who everyone thinks we are. You are Lord Marmion Ruele and I'm --" Adam took a breath, he might have been able to play the role, but saying the words was still somewhat difficult, "I'm Prince Adam Aldaric."

"And you're going to marry a priestess mage, which I guess is a lot worse than being married to Jade. At least I know Jade."

"Oh, now you see the positive side."

"Yeah, I guess this is one case where the grass isn't greener on the other side, huh?"

"Megabyte?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut-up."

[Chapter Fourteen][1]

   [1]: worlds-14.html



	14. Chapter Fourteen

### **Chapter Fourteen**

"Is my lady certain that she does not wish a heavier cloak? It is a bit cool this afternoon. The sky looks like rain."

Gripping her many layers of skirts in both hands, Jade drew to a sudden and complete stop halfway down the staircase. She even managed to not smirk when Sarena faltered and nearly stumbled forward before quickly stepping back to be on the same step with the Lady Jadina of House Ruele. The first twelve hours of having a maidservant had been absolutely wonderful and Jade had basked in the attention she received from the other girl; nearly twenty-four hours later, she was very tired of the fawning and hovering and would have given her right arm to have the girl out of her hair for a even a few hours. Particularly when Sarena's presence greatly reduced her opportunities to talk with Adam and Megabyte; while her two friends had been locked in Lord Bial's study, Sarena had insisted that her lady receive a bath, a hair washing, and a pampering that could only have been completed at a spa. That hadn't been so bad, but over dinner Jade had been positively dying to speak to Adam, but surrounded as they had been by everyone else, it had not happened. 

Breakfast had been no different, and immediately following the morning meal she had been swept off by Lady Margot to discuss the preparations for the prince's bride. Not that Jade had been allowed to contribute much to the conversation or decision making; mostly she had the privilege of nodding, smiling and agreeing with every word and decision that Lady Margot made. 

Supper again left them surrounded by servants and listening ears that they could not expose themselves to. Jade was left looking glumly forward to another few hours of following around and mimicking every word that Lady Margot said until Adam saved her. It was Adam who had suggested an afternoon ride with "one of my more prettier cousins," and of course, not even the Lady Margot would argue with the High Prince of Stiborn. 

Well, she didn't argue very strenuously.

Now, the only problem was getting Sarena out of her hair long enough for her to have some privacy with her friends.

"No, Sarena, I do not want a heavier cloak. I do not want a hooded cloak. I don't want thicker gloves, I don't want to change into heavier stockings, and I am absolutely positive that this *is* the riding dress that I want to wear."

Sarena blinked, and Jade winced inwardly. Clearly, *her* Lady Jadina did not speak so openly; obviously not, or Jade would not have spent most of the morning serving as Lady Margot's parrot. Sarena recovered quickly however, and nodded, her hands coming up to straighten Jade's cloak, "I'm sorry, Jade. It's just that having you away for so long - we haven't been separated that long since we were small girls. Not even your wedding trip lasted as long. I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not taking care of you."

Jade sighed, immediately regretting her harsh tone. As odd as it was, sometimes it was hard to remember that this was not her world, and this was only a role she was playing until she could find her way home again. She tried to put herself in Sarena's shoes, and wondered what she would do if their situations were reversed - if she had been raised to be a lady-in-waiting; and realized she would quite probably be driving the lady of the manor insane as well - only true noble bred ladies wouldn't find the attention overwhelming at all. 

"I'm sorry, Sarena," Jade paused, only a heartbeat, and covered it by stepping forward. She didn't know if she *should* apologize, if that was ever done, and she didn't dare look at Sarena's face to confirm or deny. "I just hated being on a boat and I'm a little overexcited to see Prince Adam." There, neither of those were lies.

"I don't see why I couldn't come along," Sarena accepted the words without question, linking her arm gently around Jade's as the two descended the steps together. "Eris knows that you couldn't have had much fun with your husband - pardon me for speaking ill of him, Jade - for company."

The words raised Jade's curiosity, as much this time as they had the first. One thing that she had observed these past two weeks was that everyone seemed to give Lady Jadina some small measure of pity for being married to Lord Marmion. Even his parents went out of their way to shower her with kindness and attention, as though they didn't expect her to receive it from any other corner. Not that Jade would have expected any sort of affection from Megabyte; it did strike her as peculiar that obviously the relationship that Lady Jadina shared with Lord Marmion was no better than that Jade shared with her fellow Tomorrow Person. And judging from the comments, at least Jade was lucky enough to have Megabyte's friendship; Jadina had not even that.

Thinking about it, Jade felt a pang of sorrow for the girl whose life she had taken over. An incurable romantic, it was hard for Jade to imagine being thrown into a marriage that was not based on anything other than land and titles. A loveless marriage that was certainly a horrible thing to have to deal with, and Jade actually found herself truly grateful for Megabyte's friendship. Even if he did still see her as annoying kid, at least he had not brushed her off these past two weeks; he had actually made her safe and reminded her that she was not alone.

"It wasn't so bad," Jade spoke aloud without meaning to, and catching the startled wide-eyed look Sarena threw in her direction, she hurried on. "I mean, I think he's coming around to things, accepting them. I think we might even be friends someday."

Another not quite a lie and how quickly Jade was able to spit them out.

Sarena's very unladylike snort betrayed her feelings on that matter. "I love you like a sister, Jade, and you have always been good to me. That is why I will tell you this - do not hold your breath, or you will be holding it until the moon falls from the sky. Lord Marmion is a heartless, spoiled brat who doesn't come close to deserving you for a wife."

"Maybe not," Jade sighed, patting the hand at her elbow, "But I still have to try."

"I know," Sarena squeezed Jade's arm, "You are too sweet and wonderful to do any less."

The words warmed Jade, although as her hand brushed against Sarena's she had felt -- something -- a twisting, bitterness beyond the words. But it was gone as quickly as Jade sensed it and she could only attribute it to Sarena's clear and obvious dislike of Lord Marmion Ruele.

They continued on in silence, sweeping into the stables where Adam and Megabyte already waited for her arrival. Three horses had been brought forwarded and were saddled, and not a groomsman or stable hand was in sight. Half-hidden from sight, Adam fussed with the saddle on a sable colored horse, while Megabyte fussed with his riding gloves. Both of them seemed oblivious to her arrival, so Jade cleared her throat loudly.

"Hello."

It was enough. Adam smiled at her from beneath the horse, "Hello, Jadina. Will your lady being joining us?" Although the words were friendly, Jade caught the subtle undertones in Adam's voice and both on his face.

She quickly shook her head, but was spared answering by Sarena, who dipped quickly into a low curtsy, "No, Your Highness. I was just walking a bit with my lady. I trust that she is in good hands."

"I give you my full reassurance that she can not be in any better hands," Adam responded with a charming smile, his attention fully riveted on Sarena.

Jade had known girls like Sarena, girls who could turn boys into drooling, slobbering, inanely babbling morons with just a smile and the batting of eyelashes. Usually, she found a reason to dislike those girls; usually they were either so simple-minded or stuck on themselves that they were easy to dislike. Sarena however, was neither simple-minded nor egotistical, and Jade could only stare at the other girl with envy as she watched even Adam fall prey to Sarena's charms. 

Most of which were apparently oozing out of her bodice.

Meow, Jade chided herself. She squared her shoulders, "You weren't waiting long were you?"

"Does it matter?" Megabyte asked sourly. Oddly enough, Jade noticed he was doing everything in his power to *not* look at Sarena.

Megabyte's response was enough to pull Adam's attention from Sarena and fix the other Tomorrow Person with a glare. Yet, somehow his words still remained warm and affectionate, directed at Jade. "No, you're right on time."

"I'll be going," Sarena's smile could have lit the entire stable, and probably very well did as she gave a respective curtsy again to Adam - this one not as deep this time, thank goodness - and turned to place an affectionate kiss on Jade's cheek. "Do be careful, and if rains, do you very best to keep try. We can't have you taking ill when His Highness' fiancée will be here any day now, can we?"

"Stop fretting," Jade ordered, but smiled anyway. It was hard to not smile.

Adam presented Jade with the reins of a chestnut mare when Sarena was out of earshot. "This one is yours, Lady Jadina. Her name is Quesella."

Jade smile at the creature, slowly stroking the thick mane. "She's beautiful. How did you find out which one was mine?"

"You just have to know what questions to ask and who to ask them of," Adam shrugged. "Trust me, it's becoming a lot easier to find out anything I've ever wanted to know about Stiborn without looking like I've lost my mind."

"Yeah, maybe that's because they already know that you've lost your mind," Megabyte sniggered.

"Whatever, Megabyte," Adam rolled his eyes in the direction of the redhead. 

"So, Jade can you even ride a horse?" Megabyte asked.

Jade flinched at the sarcastic tone of his voice. Folding her arms across her chest, she glared at him, "Can you?"

He paled, and the look on his face was answer enough for her. She smiled smugly. "I used to take riding lessons when I was little. I think that I will manage well enough."

"And you think I won't?"

[Do you think the two of you can try not arguing until we're away from the Keep?] Adam's chastisement rang out in her head, [You two don't sound anything like a lord and lady. You sound like two kids.]

[News flash, Adam. We're not a lord and lady.]

[Until we get out of here, you better learn to be.] The words left no room for argument.

The saddling up and ride from the stables was undertaken mostly in silence. Jade could tell that Megabyte was sulking - he clearly didn't like the way Adam had dressed him down with a few words - and he also clearly was about as uncomfortable on a horse as he would have been with wings attached to his back. Jade would have laughed at his shifting in the saddle and the way he clung to the saddle horn, if she had not been so busy getting her bearing back. Only Adam seemed relatively at ease, but Jade recalled that Adam had the pleasure of being land locked for the past two weeks.

"So, what do you think is going on, Adam?" Jade finally gained enough control to edge her horse up besides Adam's, the Keep far enough away from them for them to speak openly.

Adam laughed. Not a laugh of humor, but a sad, soft laugh of confusion. He shook his head, "I've been trying to figure that out since I got here, Jade. And unfortunately, I'm no closer to an answer now than I was then."

"Maybe it's magic," Megabyte volunteered thoughtfully. 

Adam glanced back at the Tomorrow Person who lagged behind them. "Oh, yesterday you were treating me like I was a nutter and today you believe me?"

"Not one hundred percent, but," Megabyte shrugged, "If there is a such thing as magic, then maybe that's what brought us here."

Jade looked from one to the other, truly lamenting that she had not been privy to the conversation and reunion in Lord Bial's study. "What's this about magic?"

"Adam thinks that Merlin is here."

Adam ignored the comment and addressed Jade directly. "This world has magic, Jade. Real magic. And all of Megabyte's smart-ass comments aside, he might have a point. I know that thing I saw on the beach couldn't have been natural."

"But why us? And why here?" Jade asked. 

"And where's Ami?" 

Megabyte's question bathed Jade in an ocean of guilt and shame. She hadn't even thought about their missing friend since their first few days here; and, she had been so ecstatically happy to see Adam that she still had not really focused on Ami's absence. Here she was so worried about herself, and so wound up in her own world that she had forgotten all about Ami. What if Ami was here and she was totally and completely alone with none of them around? And she didn't have the pleasure of being royalty like Adam or at least "married" like Jade and Megabyte. What if she was a servant that wasn't appreciated, or she was a trapped in a horrible marriage to a man with seven wives --

"Jade," Adam's hand on her arm pulled her from her spiraling thoughts, a soft comforting smile on his lips, "It's all right. I'm sure that wherever Ami is, she's fine. She can handle herself pretty well. There's a good chance that she's not even here at all."

Jade paled. Had she been speaking aloud? It was a wonder that Megabyte wasn't teasing her mercilessly.

"No," Adam responded to her unspoken thoughts, "But you were broadcasting pretty loudly there."

"And can you really imagine Ami trapped in a horrible marriage or something? She'd probably have her husband running scared within twenty-four hours," Megabyte laughed. 

"But she could be here, I mean, we don't know that she's not here --"

"I think, that for now, we need to operate on the premise that she isn't here," Adam cut her off before she could lose herself in a panic and guilt again. "Personally, it makes me feel a lot better to think that she's back on earth, trying to find a way to get us back."

"Yeah, because if she is here, and we can't sense her, then who knows what could be happening to her?" Megabyte added as he finally managed to exert some control over his horse and maneuver it on the other side of Jade's.

Adam glared at him across Jade's horse. "Thank you, Megabyte. Let's try not to be overwhelming with the comforting."

Despite his tone, Jade sensed the discomfort and worry that had already begun to gnaw at Adam. He always took so much on his shoulders, trying to be the strong one, and this time was no different. He was far more worried about Ami - or rather Ami's absence - than he wanted to let on to either of them. 

Jade reached out and patted his hand, hoping to convey her own comfort. "She's okay."

Adam gave her a smile that didn't quite touch his eyes, "I know she is. Besides, wherever she is, at least she isn't married to Megabyte, right?"

"Oh, you're real funny, Adam. Like being married to Jade is a picnic?"

Jade stuck her tongue out at him.

The teasing banter lightened the mood - if only a small bit.

"I think the most important thing right now, is that we act as normal as possible," Adam said after a while. "We have to be who everyone thinks we are. And in the meantime, we need to find out anything we can about that portal that we saw. I can research at the Palace, there maybe something in a book somewhere, some kind of spell or something."

"And what should we do?" Megabyte asked.

"Ask around. Listen," Adam looked over at the two of them. "Servants talk and gossip, and sometimes they know a lot more than you think they do. They might be full of rumor and superstition, but even superstition comes from somewhere.

"The worse that can happen is that we're still stuck here in a month and a half and I end up married."

[Chapter Fifteen][1]

   [1]: worlds-15.html



	15. Chapter Fifteen

### **Chapter Fifteen**

Adam rode along thoughtfully behind his friends. The afternoon ride had gone well - and one good thing about being the prince was that no one questioned his motives, or odd requests. If the High Prince wanted to ride alone with his cousin and his cousin's wife, then no one tried to stop or question him. Well, if you didn't count the almost half-hearted protest that Lady Margot gave when it was clear that Adam would be wresting Lady Jadina from under her wing.

Getting rid of Hagen had been easy; the man needed no encouragement to find his own amusements. To Adam's surprise, getting rid of Stewart had not been all that difficult either. Despite seeing ambush and assassins in every corner, evidently Stewart was convinced that Lord Marmion had no intentions of sticking a dagger into Adam's ribcage. Adam might not have been so certain about that if he hadn't known that the current incarnation of Lord Marmion really wouldn't have any such motive and couldn't have attempted to kill Adam even had he wanted to.

Of course, soothing his fears about Megabyte and Jade had only created new ones -- or rather, a new one. Ami. Was she here? Was she on earth? He had no way of knowing; after all, he hadn't truly been able to sense Megabyte and Jade from a distance, so Ami would be no different. And if she was here, this world was not small - could they ever hope to find her? Random chance led to him Jade and Megabyte and Adam held on fervently to the hope that random chance might lead them to Ami as well.

Forcing thoughts of their absent Tomorrow Person aside, Adam reined in his horse and looked to Megabyte again. He could still see the hurt and sting in Jade's eyes when the other had announced that he *needed* to speak to Adam alone before they returned, and he did feel for her. Despite the fact that Megabyte and Jade were getting along better than they ever had before, and far better than Adam would have expected under the circumstances, some things still had not changed. 

"So, what was so important that you had to send Jade away first?" As much as he hated to admit it, Adam was curious about what precisely was on Megabyte's mind.

"I'm having an affair," Megabyte said. Actually, he blurted the words so that they all ran together sounding more like 'Imhavinganaffair,' and it took Adam a moment to translate. Then, as a red that matched Megabyte's hair filled his face, the other continued, "I mean, not me. Marmion. Marmion is -- was -- having an affair."

If Megabyte hadn't looked so positively miserable and scandalized by the confession, Adam might have laughed. He didn't know what he had been expecting his friend to say, but that certainly had not been it.

Not that Adam was surprised by that sort of news about Marmion. His conversations with Hagen, a few sketchy notes in the prince's private journals, and the general attitude he picked up on from those around him told Adam that Lord Marmion was not a pillar of virtue. Hagen had even openly commented en route to Elspera Keep that he hoped that some time spent with Lady Jadina might have persuaded Marmion to only seek entertainments in his marriage bed. 

Adam was under the definite impression that the only reason the prince and Hagen tolerated Marmion at all was because they had grown up with the young man, and he was *their* cousin.

"How exactly did you find this out?" Adam thought it was better not to mention that there was no need to be so secretive. Hagen knew of Marmion's infidelities, as did Stewart. And, as he had told Jade and Megabyte earlier, servants are far more observant than given credit for and they did tend to gossip.

"She - she - she kissed me!" Megabyte blurted the words out, going even redder than Adam would have imagined. "I mean, there I was, chaining clothes and she just walked into my bedroom and kissed me!"

"Somehow, Megabyte, I never thought you would object to a pretty girl kissing you," Adam teased. "She is pretty?"

"Yes! But that's not the point. The point is that I'm Marmion, and he's married and he's a complete jerk."

"Well, then this is your opportunity to change that, Megabyte."

"And you know what the worst part is? She acts like nothing happened!"

"That is usually the case with affairs --"

"She just went on, doting on Jade like she hadn't been attacking me earlier. You saw her, Adam, she treats *Lady Jadina* like she's the best thing on earth and then she turns around and screws her husband. What kind of woman does that?"

It took Adam's brain a moment to catch up with Megabyte's tirade. As it did, the pieces of the puzzle clicked into the place - the cold glares Adam had thought he was only imagining that Megabyte gave to Sarena, or the way he thought that Sarena had spent far more time than she should have with her eyes on *Lord Marmion.* "Sarena? You're having an affair with Sarena?"

"No. Marmion is having an affair with Sarena. I'm being molested by Sarena." Megabyte glowered, "Legan knows too. Legan knows and even he doesn't do anything about it. He just treats me like I'm dirt."

"No offense, but from what I know of Marmion Ruele, he is dirt," Adam said. He held up a hand to forestall any outbursts from Megabyte. "I know you're not him, and I'm glad that you're not nearly the jackass that he seems to be. Maybe that's the one good thing that can come of us being here -- you can give Marmion a personality makeover."

Megabyte scowled. "And what do I do about Sarena?"

"Whatever you want." Adam shifted in his saddle. "Is that why you sent Jade away, so she wouldn't find out about this?"

"What was I supposed to do? Let her know that the *Lady Jadina* is being totally taken advantage of and being made a fool of by her lady in waiting? Come on, Adam, Jade and I may not get along, but I'm not going to do that to her. At least I wasn't going to until I actually figured out what to do about it."

"And what are you going to do about it?" Adam tilted his head thoughtfully. "Better yet, what do you want to do about it?"

"What do you mean?" The redhead appeared genuinely confused.

"Well, Megabyte, you do have Sarena's attention. And, as you pointed out to me, she is very . . . beautiful," Adam stumbled over the description because beautiful did not even begin to describe her. The woman gave off vibes that would set men to one another's throats for her attention if she so desired it; the fact that she knew it did very little to dampen her attractiveness and appeal. Women like Sarena were dangerous; wars had been rumored to start over less. 

"Are you saying that I should --" Megabyte stared at him with absolute incredulity.

Adam held up his hand, "I'm not saying anything, Megabyte. I'm asking you what your feelings are. What do you want to do about Sarena? And shipping her back to the Palace with me is not an option, so don't even suggest it." 

Megabyte was quiet for a while, chin resting on his the heel of his hand while he seriously contemplated the question. "I don't know. I mean, it's like, it wouldn't be right you know?"

"Consider me the devil's advocate. Why wouldn't' that be right?"

"Well, for starters, I'm married."

"Marmion is married," Adam corrected him.

"And I'm Marmion. And you're the prince … and now do you see how screwy this all is? I'm *married* and even if it is to Jade, it just doesn't seem right. Besides, it would really hurt Jade's feelings if she found out. I think she actually likes Sarena."

Adam raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment on Megabyte's concern with hurting Jade's feelings. It certainly wasn't something his friend had concerned himself with back on earth; maybe being trapped alone with Jade for two weeks had done Megabyte and Jade's friendship some real good. "So?"

"Do you think she'll just go away if I tell her to?"

Adam laughed, the first genuine laugh since they began their ride. "You're *Lord Marmion Ruele,* she has no choice. You could tell her to go the capital and play in carriage traffic and while she may not follow through, she certainly couldn't tell you 'no.' "

Megabyte considered it, "What if she doesn't go away?"

"You're a smart boy, Megabyte. You'll figure something out."

[Chapter Sixteen][1]

   [1]: worlds-16.html



	16. Chapter Sixteen

### **Chapter Sixteen**

In one way, Adam had been absolutely correct - Megabyte did think of a way to deal with Sarena. For what it lacked in creativity and originality, it made up for in the directness of the approach. Put simply, Megabyte went out of his way to avoid the woman. Which, surprisingly enough in a keep the size of Elspera was not an easy thing to do. It seemed to him that if he wasn't spending time with Adam and Hagen, and Sarena wasn't attending Jade, then she had a curious knack of appearing wherever Megabyte happened to be.

It was making him incredibly uncomfortable and more than a little guilty. The guilt only made him angry, because he knew that it was guilt that he had no reason to feel. Still, it did not change the fact that Sarena did not seem to get the hint. It was obvious that the woman was used to having her way with men, and that Lord Marmion was no exception, and she seemed unable to accept that while he was away in the northern provinces some thing had changed between them.

Namely, Megabyte noted to himself as he checked the saddle and bit on his horse, that *Lord Marmion* gained a conscience. 

Whatever. It didn't matter. Sarena was currently out of sight, if not out of mind, and as far as he knew, she was performing her duties of tending to Jade hand over foot. Although Sarena's behavior towards Lady Jadina bothered Megabyte more than he would have ever said aloud, he did and said nothing to change it. After all, what he could he say? 

"Hey Jade, your lady-in-waiting is a two-faced back-stabbing skank?" 

All right, so he could say that, but it wouldn't do a particular lot of good. Jade probably wouldn't believe him anyway, especially when Sarena was also honey goodness to her lady Jadina. And from what Megabyte had managed to figure out, things were a bit more complicated than that. Sarena had been raised by Lady Jadina's side, raised to be her companion and personal maidservant, and before coming to Elspera Keep, the two had been closer than sisters. 

The knowledge that Megabyte gleaned from some of Marmion's older journals and correspondence, and from simply taking Adam's advice and trying to listen to servant gossip, was that the wedding had almost not happened because Marmion had not wanted his new bride to bring any 'trappings' of her old house with her. That included servants. Marmion felt that if he was going to be forced to wed the child Jadina that she would start off their marriage as not only his wife, but his subject in Elspera Keep, a member of House Ruele with no other ties or linkage. Fortunately, Lady Margot had stepped in, and with a quiet word to Queen Carrina, Sarena, and two other ladies-in-waiting and one steward had joined House Ruele with the marriage.

"My lord, you are going riding?"

Megabyte glanced over the back of his horse to meet the curious, and somewhat contemptuous glare of Legan. How Marmion ever managed to get stuck with a personal valet that seemed to loath even being in his presence, was one of those mysteries that Megabyte had not figured out yet.

"Yes, Legan. I am going riding."

"Alone?"

Megabyte bit back the very smart-ass retort that immediately painted itself on the tip of his tongue. He was trying his hardest to not make waves, to show a different, kinder, gentler side of Marmion Ruele, but Legan did not always make it easy. "Yes, alone. It gives me a chance to think."

That wasn't necessarily a lie. During the time that Adam had been at the Keep, and Megabyte sorely missed his old friend even if the elder was only a telepathic call away, the two of them had discovered that if they wanted privacy, the best way to find it was on horseback. Marmion and the prince had gone riding quite frequently, and after the first few days of fear and soreness, Megabyte had actually become accustomed to riding a horse. He would still prefer a motorized vehicle any day of the week, but he, and his horse, Brazar, did get along much better these days.

"Is your father aware that you are taking leave? I was under the impression that --"

"My *father* decided that he had some business to attend to at the Palace and that I could be given one day where I did not have to oversee everything. That is why he has the Duke of Rigora in his service as well." Listening to himself talk, Megabyte shook his head slightly and returned his attention to Brazar. A few weeks ago, he would never have spoken with such formality, but it seemed that this world was growing on him. The only times of late that he allowed himself to be just Megabyte was when he was alone with Adam, who was back at the Lion Palace, or Jade, whom Megabyte was lucky to see at meals or for an hour or so before they retired to their separate sleeping quarters.

"I did not mean to imply that my lord was shirking his duties."

Megabyte yanked on the saddle strap. "Yes. You did."

Their eyes met and held, a silent war of wills. Legan did not correct the accusation, but rather than push the envelope even further, Megabyte let it go. He didn't want to deal with it right now.

He also did not wish to deal with the sultry, feminine voice that called out from the stable entrance, "My lord?"

The words "Go away, Sarena," somehow seemed childish, so Megabyte did not say them. Instead, he chose an equally childish way of dealing with her - he ignored her.

"I assume you come bearing a missive from the Lady Jadina?" Legan asked, the disgust apparent in his voice. Megabyte noticed, belatedly, that the stable hands and groomsmen had made themselves scarce when Sarena appeared.

Great, he had a starring role in a soap opera.

"I was out merely out walking and noticed that milord was out as well," Sarena dismissed Legan with a toss of her head, gliding towards Megabyte and Brazar. "I was wondering if my lord would be in need of anything before going on what is surely to be a most lonely and tiresome ride?"

Megabyte looked at her, and nearly broke into peals of laughter when his next words froze her in mid-stride. "Where is my wife, Sarena? Shouldn't you be at her side?"

Until that moment, Megabyte had not thought that it would be possible to see Sarena unnnerved, her usual poise and grace slipping away as her eyes widened to the size of saucers. She clutched her hands in front of her, blinking at him and drew a sharp breath. "She is with the Lady Margot. In the kitchens."

Megabyte watied, and when it became clear that Sarena would say no more, he prodded her. "And what is she doing there?"

Sarena now stared at him as though he had sprouted another head, and even Legan showed a bit of concern, although Megabyte was certain that he was more concerned for his own hide if Lord Marmion had lost a few screws. 

"There is a new cook, from Albarasque no less. The Lady Margot thought that it would be a fitting touch and honor to do such for the Damiar Princess and her party."

"Hnn," Megabyte nodded thoughtfully, pausing as he was poised to hoist himself into the saddle. "Well, why don't you go and get her, Sarena. Tell her that I wish to see her quite urgently. I'm sure that she won't mind being rescued from the kitchen and my mother's shadow."

Sarena's eyes did bulge out of her head. Her jaw worked soundlessly, and for a moment, Megabyte was afraid the woman would have a stroke right there in the stable. It took her a full thirty seconds to regain her composure, and another ten to form words, "Certainly my lord does not wish to interfere in the goings on of household management. Your mother would be most displeased with you. If you have need --"

"Legan," Megabyte slid his eyes from the Jade's personal maid to his valet, "Apparently Sarena is having some difficulty comprehending my words. Could you kindly escort her to the kitchen and see that she seeks out my wife as I have asked?"

Although Megabyte was not looking at her, he had no problems feeling the wave of anger and indignation that rolled off of Sarena. He heard her sharp breath, and heard the loud crunching of the straw and grass beneath her feet as she stalked from the stables. He felt Legan's mirth and saw the man smirk.

"My lord, a man who plays with that much fire -"

"Legan. See that Sarena delivers my message to my wife," Megabyte cut the man off with a wave of his hand, his eyes already beginning to dart around the stables. He found what he was looking for, a single groom daring to attempt to duck quietly in to tend to the horses, "You there! Prepare Lady Jadina's horse, we're going riding."

"A-a-al-lone to-to-together?" The groom stared at him in utter shock, stuttering a response when he might never have dared to speak up otherwise. "Mi-mi-l-l-ord?" The last was added quickly, and the man flushed from his neck to the roots of his hair.

"Unless there is a problem with my wife's steed? Is she ill? Or overtired?"

"No-no, no milord. She will be ready shortly." The groom hurried more deeply into the stables, nearly stumbling over his feet as he did so.

"Oh and Legan?" the Tomorrow Person and Lord of Elspera Keep called after the back of his departing valet, "See if someone in the kitchen can prepare something for us to eat. I don't think we'll be back in time for supper."

****

Sitting down at his desk -- and after truly asserting himself as Lord Marmion today, Megabyte didn't see any reason not to think of the things in this world as his -- Megabyte opened Marmion's journals. It was past time that he started keeping a record of his own, it might be the only way to keep himself sane; and, if they should ever be back on earth it would be a record for Lord Marmion Ruele to know exactly how much Megabyte had managed to turn the man's life upside down. The changes, from ending that disgraceful affair with Sarena to the public building of a friendship with Lady Jadina, were for the better, but Megabyte didn't think that Marmion would ever see it that way.

Jade had been nearly as surprised as Legan, Sarena, and the poor bewildered groom by the turn in events that afternoon. He'd had to wait nearly half-an-hour for her to arrive at the stables, because she absolutely had to change into her riding habit, and then it had been another nearly half-an-hour before a kitchen girl appeared with a sack containing provisions for the afternoon and water sacks. Even he didn't know why he had decided to pull Jade away from her duties as lady of the Keep, and the scowls that he received from his mother when Lord Marmion and Lady Jadina arrived for dinner told him that it had not been appreciated. But he had done it, and all in all, it had not been a bad afternoon.

At first, however, Jade had to dress him down by informing him, quite primly, "You do realize that the entire kitchen staff thinks that you've gone quite mad? By dinner time, it will be all over the Keep that Lord Marmion has taken leave of his senses."

"Jade, ask me if I care," had been his laughing retort. That had been the end of that, and for a few hours they had put aside their names and titles and simply been Megabyte and Jade. 

Quill in hand, dipped in the inkwell, Megabyte paused. He caught himself on the verge of chewing on the feather end of the quill and smiled at the almost action. At least some things did not change, even here. Where to start? What to write? The past few weeks would require a lot of words, and he didn't pretend to know where to begin.

From the beginning, a little voice whispered in the back of his head, and that sounded good enough to Megabyte. He would start with the first day, the first moment that he arrived here and go forward from there. Although it sometimes seemed hard for him to remember what was the first day, sometimes it seemed like there were thoughts and memories just beyond his reach that didn't belong to him, but would if he could just wrap his fingers around them. The fine line between Megabyte Damon and Marmion Ruele was becoming less fine and the sooner he put the words to paper the better.

He was just preparing to write out the first words when a knock sounded on the door.

Megabyte looked up in annoyance, wondering who would be knocking at his bedchamber door at this late hour? He had already bid Legan good-night and Sarena . . . well, if the look on her face this afternoon was any indication, the woman had finally gotten the message and would steer clear of Marmion until 'his lordship' was ready to deal with her. Which, if Megabyte had anything to say about it, would be never.

"What?" Megabyte snapped out, his attention turning towards the door. He had no intentions of getting up and answering it, and hopefully he sounded annoyed enough that any foolish servant would simply scamper away unless it was a matter of life and death. 

"Marm?" The door opened a narrow crack, Jade's blonde head peeking inside, "Can I come in for a minute? I mean, if you're not too busy?"

"No, come on in." Closing the journal, Megabyte put it aside. His thoughts would keep, but it was pretty clear that Jade had something on her mind. He could think of no other reason that she would be here, coming into his bedchamber this late at night. "What's up?"

She stepped fully into the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind her. Jade wore only her nightdress over which was thrown a robe, her everyday shoes peeking out from beneath the hem of the pristine white night clothes. Megabyte was surprised by the brief stab of surprise that she would actually wander the keep corridors barely dressed, and then checked himself at the thought. Jade was perfectly well dressed and covered for their world, but perhaps he was becoming more a part of this world than he had previously thought. 

"I was just," Jade shrugged, and sank to the couch, holding her robe tightly closed in one fist and smoothing the layers of her nightdress with the other hand, "I couldn't sleep."

"Join the club," Megabyte leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs. "What's bothering you?"

"This!" Jade threw one hand up in the air, the action indicating not only Megabyte's bedchamber, but the entire Keep and probably the entire world as well. "I mean, what are we doing here? I know, I know we keep talking about it and we don't have any answers, but - are we still us?"

"Well, kid, last I checked I was still me."

Jade gave him her patented this-is-no-time-for-jokes stare, tilting her head ever so slightly as she did. "You know that's not what I meant, Marm. I know that we're still us, but … well, sometimes, it feels like I'm really Jadina. I mean, it's like I know her, and I know who she was and how she felt and . . . " Jade looked away, clenching her fists in obvious frustration, shaking her head, "I don't know how to put it into words to make you understand."

All pretense of jokes aside, Megabyte nodded. "I do understand." He crossed to the couch to sit beside her, raking his hands through his hair and pretending not to notice the look of wary disbelief that shot out from Jade's blue eyes. 

"I mean it, Jade. I get it. Sometimes it's almost like you can remember something, but it's not quite your memory."

Relief banished the wariness and Jade nodded excitedly. "Like we really are them, only we aren't because we can still remember earth and the Ship and things like chips and ice cream and computer games, but it seems so far away at the same time."

"But it's not, it's only been four weeks," Megabyte hesitated a moment before reaching out to wrap his arm comfortingly around her shoulder. "And you're still Jade Weston and I'm still Megabyte Damon and we'll get home someday and everything will be normal again."

"But you don't know that," Jade leaned into him, tilting her head back to look into his face. "You and Adam keep saying that, but you don't know that. We could be stuck here forever. We could never go home again."

"Or, we could go home tomorrow. There's no way to know, Jade."

Jade looked away, lowering her head to his shoulder, "I hate not knowing."

"Me too, kiddo." Before he quite registered what he was doing, Megabyte had dropped a kiss onto the top of her head. It was chaste, it was platonic, but it startled them both, Megabyte could tell by the shiver that ran through Jade's body, could tell by the way he suddenly caught his breath. He waited, waited for her to look at him - all hopeful and adoring, but she never did. She simply sighed quietly against him, drawing her feet onto the couch and settling more comfortably against him. 

[Can I stay here awhile, Marm?] She wasn't reassured, Jade was far from reassured, Megabyte could hear it in her mental voice, could feel the sadness and confusion that played through her. [I just don't want to be all alone right now.]

[Sure. Stay as long as you want.]

[Thank you.]

This time he knew exactly what he was doing when he parted her hair and let his lips linger on her scalp. Not a romantic endearment, or suggestive flirting of any sort, just a gesture of comfort and affection shared between friends. [You're welcome.]

Half an hour later, she was sleeping soundly.

And that was precisely where and how Legan found them in the morning.

****

Legan recalled a time when he had not disliked his lord. He recalled a time when he had been quite fond of the boy, a laughing and exuberant child who had once been horrified to watch a groomsman end the life of a lame horse and who had insisted that groomsman be dealt with harshly for his actions. It had taken Lord Bial, Lady Margot, Queen Carrina and King Martine to convince the boy that it had been the best they could do for the poor beast. Of course, stubborn Marmion hadn't believed it until his cousins had a bout of fisticuffs to beat the idea into his head.

Often times Legan wondered what had happened to that young man. Perhaps it had been over indulgences of his parents, Lady Margot had lost so many babes before bringing Marmion into the world, and he was the sole heir to Elspera Keep, the sole male to pass his name and heritage on to keep House Ruele alive and strong. His mother and father had both doted upon him far too much, and when he was being honest with himself, Legan would admit that he had done it as well, and perhaps together they had doted all the sweetness out of the child. 

Somehow that didn't seem entirely possible, however. His Highness was still well mannered and had the same strong, good heart that he had possessed as a child when he and Marmion and Hagen had nothing better to do with their time than practice sword fighting with large sticks and peek under the dresses of the kitchen maids. And while Lord Hagen's interest in women was well known, he was still looked upon fondly and did not have the sour disposition that Marmion did.

But these days, it seemed that something was happening inside that thick skull of Marmion's. The boy actually seemed to be re-developing the conscience that he had lost at some point in time, and he seemed to be growing into the personality that would make a fine lord and House Head when that day came. Perhaps Lord Bial and Lady Margot had been correct, perhaps getting Marmion away from the Keep where he spent so much time with his head above the clouds, and forcing him to get to know his wife, all under the pretense of doing business for the king, had forced the man to get more in touch with himself.

Or maybe he had merely slipped and hit his head too hard at some point in time.

Still, while surprising, it had been good to see him dismissing that two-faced tart and spending some time with his wife. While it was true that the two might never be married in anymore than name only, it made Legan think there was hope for Marmion that he would actually befriend his wife. 

And he felt that it was past time that it had been done.

The Lady Jadina may have come into her own since moving into Elspera Keep, but there were times when she still showed herself as the shy, naïve first daughter of House Zentil. Raised to be the perfect lady, and probably the prettiest of the Lord Gunter and Lady Penelope's daughters -- although there was still time for the other girls to grow into their looks -- this had been her parent's plan for her since birth. Jadina, unlike her sisters, would not be married into one of the lower houses, but into a House with influence, a House with blood more closely tied to the Lion Throne. What Lord Gunter lacked in ambition, his wife made up for tenfold, and so it was that Lady Jadina had come to them. Come to a man who did not wish to be married to girl he considered no more than a child, with blood barely thick enough to be considered royal by Marmion's standards.

But, by the same token, Lord Bial and Lady Margot would have taken no girl from any of the higher Houses; a threat to their rank among the Houses was not something they would abide by. Contrary to what Marmion thought, he had always been destined to marry a daughter of House Zentil; he was lucky that he had gotten the prettiest of the bunch. 

As was his tradition, Legan knocked twice before throwing open the doors to Marmion's bedchamber. He didn't care who or what company the young lord was keeping; if it was not the young woman chosen to bear his heirs, then it was of no consequence. Although he could only hope that his lord had truly decided to be done with Sarena once and for all.

Few things surprised Legan. Even fewer caused him embarrassment and left him at a loss of words. What he saw upon entering Lord Marmion's bedchamber did both.

On the couch in the outer sitting room, sleeping as though she belonged there, was the Lady Jadina. But that was not what caused him surprise; that was not what caused him to feel suddenly as if he had walked in something that he should not have, that left him gaping for his voice and the words to say. No, what caused that effect was the remainder of the scene spilled out before his eyes. Lady Jadina was not alone on the couch, but rather she lay beside her husband, Lord Marmion's body spooned up behind hers, his arm wrapped around her waist and his face buried in her hair. 

Legan's first thought had been that Lady Jadina slept as though she belonged there, and from the looks of things, perhaps she did.

As the shock slowly faded away, Legan realized that perhaps standing in the entryway gaping was not the wisest move. He moved to back into the corridor, to announce his presence a bit more loudly, but it was not quickly enough to stop one of the other servants from sweeping inside the chamber, not quickly enough to warn the woman away before she gave a surprised and startled yelp, the water pitcher she carried crashing loudly to the floor.

Lord and lady jerked suddenly awake, both of them bolting upright at the sound. Legan caught Marmion's blue eyes focused accusingly on him, until the serving woman began to babble apologies, trying to mop up the spilled water with the hems of her skirts. Lady Jadina bolted away from the couch, away from her husband, looking like a startled animal, her face flushed redder than her husband's hair.

"Leave it," Legan barked at the serving woman, "Go get another pitcher."

The woman did even wait for Marmion's nod of dismal before she darted out, Legan closing the doors behind her. Closing them just in time to catch Lady Jadina as she tried to flee out of them as well. 

He properly averted his eyes, but his body remained in her path of escape. "My lady can not wander the Keep halls this morn dressed like that."

"Oh." The voice was the tiniest of squeaks, reminding Legan again of the youth and naivete of Marmion's child bride. "But I have to --"

"Here," Marmion spoke up, his voice followed by a rustling of material, the loud shuffling of feet as bodies moved about.

Legan blinked in surprise as Lady Jadina was placed in his line of sight, fully covered in one of Marmion's cloaks. "See that she gets to her chambers, all right, Legan?"

"Certainly, my lord." Legan nodded to Marmion, although the young lord had already turned away from him, his attention on his wife. 

Because they spoke no words, the smile that suddenly broke out across Lady Jadina's face seemed to have no place and no reason. But she did smile and as she did so, Marmion turned away, dismissing Legan with a nod, "And be quick about it. I need to meet with the Duke of Rigora very shortly."

Legan felt his eyebrows rise clear to his hairline, a thousand unasked questions forming in his brain. But it wasn't his place to ask them, at least not in the presence of Lady Jadina, so he simply turned and did as he was told. 

Her equilibrium recovered, Lady Jadina walked with her head held high, although Legan did notice that some splotches of pink still clung to her cheeks. 

"My lady!" Sarena rushed up to Lady Jadina, her eyes widening in shock and disdain as she took note of the clothing - or rather lack of clothing - worn by the girl. "Where have you - you are -"

"Cold," Lady Jadina supplied with a rueful smile. 

"You were not in your chambers -"

"I slept elsewhere," tiny splotches of pink dotted her cheeks again as she said the words, but she kept her head held high. She gave Legan a smile and nod before turning and walking away, "Thank you for your assistance, Legan. But I'm certain my husband wants you back, and I am safely in Sarena's capable hands." 

Legan didn't share Jadina's belief when he saw understanding and the implications of her words dawn in Sarena's eyes. He certainly discounted any use of the word safe as Sarena's face drained of all blood, her eyes growing hard as she glared at the back of her lady's head.

With a firm grip on Sarena's shoulder, Legan hissed in her ear. "She is the lady of this keep, and you are her servant. If you wish to keep your place here, you best keep your lips sealed and tend to her as you should." 

"Sarena, are you coming?" Lady Jadina paused, looking back, somehow managing to look bored and annoyed even when wearing a ridiculously large cloak in the early morning hours.

Legan released Sarena and turned away, hoping that the implied threat would suffice. While Marmion may have earned Sarena's venom, Jadina did not deserve it and he would not let the girl be hurt or upset because of her husband's indiscretions. 

And if there was any hope at all for that marriage, he would do everything in his power to encourage it.

[Chapter Seventeen][1]

   [1]: worlds-17.html



	17. Chapter Seventeen

### **Chapter Seventeen**

This was ridiculous. 

As he was forced to step back and allow two man servants to haul *another* very large wooden chest into his bedchamber, Megabyte groaned and banged his head softly against the bedchamber wall. There was no place for him to go now, no where for him to escape. The sanctity of his bedchamber had been violated in one fell swoop by a simple suggestion from his father and a nod and clap of the hands from his mother. No longer his personal private refuge, but a tainted place now covered with Zentil family heirlooms, lacy trappings and soft, prettily woven tapestries and a wardrobe stuffed full of frocks and frills and dresses, all courtesy of the Lady Jadina.

Not that it was Jade's fault, or even Jade's idea that she move into the same bedchamber with her *husband.* Whatever else she might be, and even if she was fast assuming her role as the lady of Elspera Keep, even Jade was not that pretentious. However, with the impending arrival of the entourage from Albarasque, the entire keep was in a state of flux. 

The Damia Reina, according to Lady Margot, "absolutely positively needs her privacy. She is the ruler of that land, we can't just have her lying about in any room. I'm certain that you both understand the necessity of this, and while I would never be so forward as to presume to tell you how to live or what to do . . ." 

The words had gone on and on until Megabyte had thought that his brain would explode from boredom or that his eyes would cross. The words that in the end, ultimately meant that Jade was moving into his bedchamber for the duration of the visit from the ruling family of Albarasque. 

Megabyte was really beginning to think that fate was having a jolly good laugh at his expense.

As two more servants appeared, another tapestry carried between them, Megabyte stopped them with an extended arm. "What is that?"

"It is Lady Jadina's, my lord."

"I know that. But what is it? Another tapestry? Look around men, there is no place to put another tapestry."

"But Lady Jadina -"

"Take it back."

The two men exchanged worried glances, hesitating on the threshold. "My lord, Lady Margot's orders were -"

"I know what my mother's orders were, but I don't think that she meant for everyone to take her words quite so literally. If anymore of Jad-ina's trappings are brought in here, this will not be so much a bedchamber as a storage room! Now take that back where you got it from." Megabyte pointed at the next group as well, "All of you, take it and put it back where it came from. Enough is enough already."

"My lord, as much as this inconveniences you, this," one of the maidservants stepped forward, shaking an armful of lace and silk under his nose, "is needed by your wife, unless you wish her to run amok in the keep wearing only her chemise."

Feeling his face flush red clear to the roots of his hair, as the woman no doubt intended, Megabyte stepped aside to allow entry by the women carrying more of Jade's wardrobe. Of course, he had to wonder how and why precisely Jade had or needed so many clothes. He was certain that he already seen dresses stuffed in wardrobes that Jade had yet to wear, and more than likely, probably would never wear.

This was absolute madness.

"Where are you going with that?" Jade's voice rang out behind him as the two men bearing the tapestry began to head in the other direction. 

The men floundered, exchanging glances, mouths working soundlessly.

"They're putting it back in your bedchamber, Jade," Megabyte informed her, "There's no room for it here."

"No, they can't!" She waved her hands at the men, "You can't. Bring that in here and put it -- over in that corner."

[Hello? Jade? Starting to feel a little cluttered here,] Megabyte 'pathed at her, placing his body in the path of the men and the tapestry. "Take it back to Lady Jadina's quarters."

"No!" Jade practically yelled at the men, then lowering her voice, she turned her attention to Megabyte. "Now, *Marmion,*" her eyes flashed as she placed emphasis on his name, "your mother clearly stated that we had to make my bedchamber comfortable for the Damia Reina. It's to be properly decorated and that can't be done with my tapestries all over the walls and floors. Besides, that one was a wedding present, don't you remember?"

[You can't possibly know that.]

[I can and I do. Now where should they put it?]

It took every ounce of willpower that Megabyte had to not tell Jade the precise location of a very dark place lacking in sunshine that he thought would be an appropriate place for the tapestry in question. Tugging on his doublet, Megabyte gave Jade the most placating smile he could muster before turning to the servants. "Take it down into the storage cellar. I'm sure you'll find plenty of room for it there."

"Stop," Jade snapped. Everyone in the room, Megabyte included froze, startled by the commanding note in her normally gentle voice. Eyes as cold as a winter's sea bored into him, daring him to challenge her as she said, "Lay it on the bed if you please and then leave. Lord Marmion and I have some things to discuss."

There was no hesitation in the scurrying sounds he heard around him. He couldn't find it in his heart to blame them. Had he been at the receiving end of it, he might well have jumped too. 

When the room had cleared and the door shut behind them with an audible click, Megabyte crossed his arms, glaring at her, "Would you like to tell me what that was about?"

Jade smiled. It was not a sweet or even warm smile. "You were being an ass, Marmion. And I didn't want to embarrass you in public."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're making this harder than it has to be. You're being … you're being a baby about this."

Megabyte stared at with incredulity. "I'm being a baby?"

"Yes. Did you hear yourself? Take that back, put that away -"

"Jade! Look around," Megabyte waved with his arms, "I can't walk in here without stumbling over a chest or a table or a tapestry! This place is so cluttered that … if you were a little old lady, there would probably be about fifteen or twenty cats prancing around. This is not a bedchamber, this is turning into a depository!"

"This is what your mother wanted!"

"Temporarily, Jade. Until after the Damia Reina leaves. You do understand what temporary means, right? It doesn't mean move right in and grow roots."

"Geesh, I don't know why you're so upset by all of this. After all, we're *married.* Most married couples do actually share sleeping quarters, in case you haven't been paying attention."

Megabyte snapped his mouth closed in mid-rant, his words flying out of his head as he truly heard Jade's words. They hit him like a bucket of ice water, sending a chill rippling along his spine. It was true, technically they were married, but the arrangement between Marmion and Jadina made it easy for him to ignore that minor technicality. Married in name only, and it was a far less complicated way to look at the things. 

But clearly Jade didn't see things in the same manner that he did.

"No, Jade, *we*, Megabyte and Jade, are not married. Marmion and Jadina are married."

"Same difference," Jade shrugged. "We're Marmion and Jadina, and does this have some kind of point?"

Megabyte resisted the urge to take her by the shoulders and shake her until her teeth rattled. How on earth she managed to get him so riled up so easily, he did not begin to fathom. Once upon a time, which seemed quite a long time ago, it had been easy to ignore her. Once upon a time when they lived on earth and his biggest responsibility had been to take the dog out, Jade, while being annoying at times, had not reached the point where his palms actually itched with wanting to shake some sense into her. Once upon a time, he had not dreaded that he might get a headache from just trying to hold an extended conversation with her.

Maybe she was right and he was wrong; maybe they really were married. He didn't think it could be humanly possible for any woman other than a man's wife to cause him this much aggravation. 

"Jadina, my dear wife," Megabyte grasped her gently by the shoulders, ignoring the itching in his hands, taking momentary enjoyment from the way her eyes widened at his choice of words, "there is not enough room in here for all of your stuff. Half of it stays and the rest will have to go into storage until the Damia Reina is gone. Pick what you absolutely can not live without and pack the rest away, okay?

"And, by the way, you can have the bed. I'll take the couch. End of story."

"Why can't you pack some of your stuff away? And who says I want to sleep in your bed?"

At that moment, Megabyte decided that when he got back to earth, he was never ever getting married. From his very brief experience, it was a punishment far worse than death.

The frighteningly sad part was that he was beginning to accept it.

***

"At least she isn't sleeping in your bed," Adam reined his horse to a halt, smirking over his shoulder at Megabyte as the redhead rode up beside him. His friend had arrived unexpectedly that morning, nearly causing Adam to cut his own throat when the other teleported in while Adam was shaving. 

Adam had immediately chewed Megabyte out for actually *teleporting* into the Palace like that, then made arrangements to meet him out by the stables. And finished his morning toilet while listening to Megabyte do the precise same thing he had been doing since they began their ride as well - rant about having to share his bedchamber with Jade.

"Not even funny, Adam," Megabyte rode up beside him. "That would make this about ten times worse. I've slept with Jade and she's a cover hog."

"Is there something I should know?" Adam's eyebrows rose.

Megabyte rolled his eyes. "No! On the boat. We shared a room and a bed on the boat. That was more than long enough to share anything with Jade."

"Well, she is your wife, Megabyte. It does only make sense."

"You're enjoying this way too much, you know that?" Megabyte glared sourly at him. "I mean, you don' t hear me teasing you about your future bride do you? I'm at least trying to support you in your hour of pain. You could repay the favor."

Those words gave Adam pause. Megabyte was right, he really didn't have the right to criticize and tease the other for his situation when Adam had his own *situation.* The difference being that Megabyte was only *suffering* through marriage with Jade, while Adam had no idea what sort of situation he would find himself in.

"You worked it out, at least," Adam reminded him, "If one good thing is coming out of this, you and Jade are at the very least learning to get along. And you are learning the fine art of compromise."

"Compromise?" Megabyte shook his head. "The room still looks like some little old lady's living room. And I'm going to have listen to Jade whine and complain for the next few weeks about all the things she didn't get to keep out. I really think that someone is playing a big joke on me."

The path narrowed and the horses were forced to march in single file. Megabyte and Brazar fell into step behind Adam and Farras, and Adam switched to telepathy so that his fellow Tomorrow Person could hear him. [I've been thinking that since we arrived here.]

[Yeah, well, I haven't found it funny yet.]

[Me neither,] Adam threw Megabyte a smile over his shoulder.

[You know what the scary thing is, though, pal?]

Adam brought Farras to a halt as the path widened out before them again. This was near the place where he had first found himself on the ground, awakened in this different world. A short trot off the main path and down the small incline and he would be there, in the midst of the small copse of trees that shaded a small clearing. His hands twitched on the reins, and he fought the urge to lead Farras there again as he had done so often within the first few days of arriving here. There was nothing to see, nothing to mark his passage into this place or the passage of the true prince out of it. There were no clues, nothing except the virtually undisturbed wood.

Turning his attention from the wood, Adam focused it on Megabyte's question. [The scary part is that you're starting to get used to it?]

Shock and surprise registered clearly on Megabyte's face, the emotions buffeting Adam. [Yeah, how did you know?]

[Because I know the feeling,] Adam supplied, giving one glance back at the wooded area. 

More than you could ever imagine, Megabyte.

[Chapter Eighteen][1]

   [1]: worlds-18.html



	18. Chapter Eighteen

### **Chapter Eighteen**

Power. 

Life.

Energy.

It flowed from every point around Adam, flowed into the Sword and seeped into his very soul. Unending, unyielding power and energy surrounded him and devoured him, molded with him and shaped him to its will. The power guided his sword strokes, guided his hands and his feet, carrying him along in the wake of a powerful tidal wave. He was one with the Sword, he was one with the world around him, joined as one with universe. Give and take, take and give until there was nothing else but this force that could not be defeated or ignored. It fed him, it nourished him, and it provided him with everything.

It was everything.

Therefore, Adam found himself shuddering and stumbling to his knees when it was quite suddenly ripped from him, leaving him cold and hallow and wanting. He grasped for the thin tether he held on that powerful magic, mentally reaching outwards with phantom fingers for the phantasmal cord, recoiling when he brushed against a wall as smooth as glass and as cold as ice. His fingers instinctively tightened on the Sword hilt, yearning and seeking, repeatedly ramming against the invisible wall that separated him from the life energy of the magic.

"Woman, have you taken leave of your senses?" A voice -- Stewart's voice -- came from down a long tunnel, as the world slowly rose to meet him again, as reality met up with him. "You do not interfere like that! You are mad!"

"No more than you. You will allow him to do too much and go too far. And a dead prince is not of much use to the kingdom."

Adam lifted his head, somehow it felt heavier than he could ever remember it feeling, to the source of the second voice. The image before him blurred and shifted, doubling and tripling before finally fusing into one. "Halista?"

The woman gave him a deep curtsy. "I am sorry, Aldaric, but I could not stand by and wait for you to burn yourself to a cinder." Two old wrinkled hands wrapped around the hilt of his sword, pulling it gently from his hands. Adam tried to resist, but in his weakened state, the old nurse was the stronger of the two. "I think that your lesson is at an end for the day."

Adam shook his head in an effort to clear it. He was gathering his bearings again, thank goodness for small miracles, but while his head was clear, that did nothing to banish the shivering that went deep to the core of his soul. He had been studying and reading, learning about this world's magic, and only using it when Stewart required it of him, so he had a good idea of what had happened. It was called blocking, and Halista had carried it out quite effectively. Even now, with the Sword that he relied on to touch the magic at all beyond his reach, he was still aware of that wall between him and the energies that made up the magic. 

He was aware that he couldn't touch them at all.

And he didn't like the feelings of terror and loss that accompanied that knowledge.

"Well, you've certainly left him in no condition to do much else today," Stewart barked. Adam flinched at the sound of Stewart's sword being thrust back into its sheath. His senses, all of them, sight and sound, taste and smell, even touch, were hypersensitive after being exposed to any amount of magic. 

Although the voice was gruff, the hands that lifted him from the ground were gentle. And Adam was grateful for Stewart's aid; he didn't think that he would have been able to stand up without the older man's help.

[Adam?]

[Hey pal, you okay?]

The two simultaneous telepathic whisperings in his mind made Adam wince and recoil, reflexively pushing both of his friends away. He held tight to Stewart's shoulder and hoped that the man did not notice that his prince almost went back down to his knees in the dirt again. 

He felt panic at his reaction - mental panic coming from the two minds a day's ride away and he sighed heavily, opening his shields slightly. [I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm fine.]

[What happened?]

[Nothing, Megabyte. Just one of Stewart's lessons.] The lie left a bad taste in his mouth, but Adam wasn't ready to share *that* particular aspect of being Prince Adam Aldaric with his friends just yet. It was one of those things that was too close to him, too intimate, too personal and he didn't think that there was anyway that he could possibly make them understand, particularly when he didn't understand it himself.

Adam remembered the first time he wielded the magical power, he remembered how disturbed and unsettled he had been by it. In those early days, he had hoped that he would never have to do it again, but that had not been the case. Stewart required it of him; existing in this place as Prince Adam Aldaric required it of him . . . and some days, he required it of him.

The magic was like a drug - powerful and pure in its raw intoxication. When he touched the magic, when he opened himself to its influence, the feeling of completeness and wholeness was nothing that he had ever felt before or could even put into the proper words. Each time he opened himself, it grew easier to do it again and again; each time he found himself more willing to do it the next time.

Everything that he read said that magic required discipline.

He understood why.

A part of him had hoped that with the wedding fast approaching, and the increased activity at the Palace, Stewart would be lax in his training, and he would not be forced to deal with the complex and conflicting feelings and emotions wielding the magic brought forth in him. The other part of him had desperately hoped that Stewart would not be lax.

[Are you sure? Because it felt like -]

[Megabyte, I'm fine. It was nothing.] The words came out sharper than Adam had intended and he sighed again. [I'm just having a hard day, all right? All of you, stop worrying about me.]

A few more concerned probes, and his friends withdrew, leaving him alone once again with his own thoughts, worries, and fears.

And Halista and Stewart, both of whom were staring at him with more than a little concern as he lowered himself to the nearest bench.

"What?" Adam demanded.

"I am simply reassuring myself that you are still of sharp and clear mind," Stewart directed the words at Adam, but the icy glare he reserved for Halista.

"Too sharp and too clear, if the pain in my head is any indication," Adam remarked, rubbing his temples. His eyes were drawn to the Sword, his Sword, in Halista's hand and he forced himself to look away.

"He has a headache," Stewart growled.

Halista laid the Sword on the bench beside him, "It will pass." The woman gave him a soft pat to his shoulder and turned to Stewart. "See that he does not over tax himself again." With those words, she spun on her heel, wandering away from the practice grounds with the same light tread that she had approached with.

"That woman will be the death of me," Stewart grumbled and gestured at the Sword lying on the bench. "Sheath that, Your Highness. There'll be no more lessons today. As we are lucky you are still standing and --"

"Who trained you, Stewart?" The question came out of nowhere, even later, Adam would not know why he asked it.

"Your Highness?"

"The Sword, the magic," Adam gestured with his free hand, the other carefully encircling the hilt of his sword, "Halista trained you right?"

It was a guess, gleaned from Stewart's interactions with the woman and things Adam had learned from carefully listening. 

"You know this already, Adam. I don't see why we are discussing it."

"Maybe you should work together," Adam stood and sheathed his Sword, "She can't teach me everything Stewart, but neither can you." 

"I was wondering when it would come to this."

Adam looked to the other man in surprise. He thought that perhaps the prince had discussed this with Stewart before, thought that perhaps that was the reason for the animosity between the man and Halista. He was surprised to learn that he was wrong. Still, he managed to downplay his surprise with a shrug, "It only makes sense. If I'm to receive official instruction at the Temple of Damiaren someday, maybe learning from someone who's been there isn't such a bad idea?"

"You still have not mastered the fine art of royal subterfuge, Adam, but you are learning." Stewart gave him a fond smile and a clap on his shoulder, "But perhaps, this is a conversation that we should have after your wedding? You might change your mind by then. You might have only an interest in your wife teaching you that which you would like to know."

Adam ignored the gleam in Stewart's eyes, and was grateful that Hagen was not around. His cousin would certainly not have passed up the opportunity to make some lewd comment or another about Adam's bride, the wedding night, or both. "Stewart, I doubt the Damiar Princess is going to be capable of, or at the very least interested in teaching me anything that has to do with magic. She probably can't even teach herself, she is newly raised, remember?"

While still not understanding all of the subtle, and not so subtle, nuances of the world he now occupied, Adam understood enough that the world was at least beginning to make sense to him. For instance, he understood that there were twelve levels of ascension, or Circles, within the Temple of Damiaren, and that the Damiar Princess had only been accepted into the first circle a few weeks *after* the engagement had been publicly declared. He didn't pretend to understand the complexities of honor and title surrounding the Circles, or the idea that some who studied at the temple would never have the power or the strength to enter the circles, although they would forever be known as damiar, not a title, simply a description of what they were. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, there were those like Halista who had ascended several, if not all Twelve Circles, but did not carry an honorific of any sort, nor did she even identify herself as damiar. 

Between the world politics and the religious politics, Adam sometimes felt like his head would explode if he thought about it for too long.

"You presume I was speaking of magic."

Adam stiffened and shook his head slightly. "And here, I thought you were a wiser man than Hagen and knew when to keep your own counsel."

"I am not the only one who finds it interesting to note that you do not seem to have any wish or desire to speak of your future bride," Stewart remarked quietly. "Why is that, Your Highness?"

"And I find it interesting to note that everyone else around me does want to talk about it," Adam returned. "Why is that, Stewart?"

"Because it is unprecedented. A marriage outside of the kingdom. One that will give our kingdom some leverage within the Temple of Damiaren. There are a great many reasons to talk about it. Your marriage is not, and unfortunately quite probably will never be, a private matter."

"All the more reason why I'm not going to waste time and breath to speculate or discuss it, with *anyone.* I'll be married soon enough, come what may I can't change that. What's left to talk about?"

"You sound like your father."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." The words surprised Adam, although he was certain his face did not show it. On earth, his father was a man that he did not know, and a man that he wanted to forget; he would never have taken pride in the type of statement that Hagen had just made. But here, King Martine was respected and loved by his subjects, respected and loved by his family. Being compared to the sovereign of Stiborn could hardly be an insult.

"Your father is a good man and a good king, but one day you will be King, and it would be a pleasant change if you sounded like Adam Aldaric. But I wonder if he even has a voice of his own." 

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You are your father's son, Adam, and that is a blessing. But someday, you will have to rule this kingdom without the shadow of King Martine to support you. This marriage is only the beginning. It's your chance to be more than the son of Martine and Carrina.

"Instead of burying yourself in books and reading fables, you would be served well by remembering that."

"Stewart, I don't know whether you just insulted me or complimented me."

"That is because I am far more skilled at playing the royal game than you are, Your Highness." Stewart gave him a bow, "Sleep on it, and perhaps it will make sense to you in a few years time." 

With those cryptic last words, Stewart turned and departed the practice grounds, leaving Adam staring blankly after him. 

And wondering if he would ever really get the hang of this world - and its people.

[More to Come!][1]

   [1]: worlds-19.html



	19. Chapter Nineteen

### **Chapter Nineteen**

Adam dreamed.

He didn't know how he was aware that he was dreaming; normally, his dreams were not lucid and he could no more figures out that he was dreaming than he could change the color of his eyes at will. Yet, this time he knew innately, somewhere inside of him some greater instinct and knowledge told him that he was dreaming.

It helped that he remembered retiring to bed. He remembered everything about the past few days, including the return trip from Elspera Keep. The return trip, which had been postponed for three days due to heavy rains, was hard to forget. The rains did not cease after three days, and riding along on muddy roads in a jolting carriage was not something that one forgot easily. Aching and sore, he remembered taking a long hot bath and curling up gratefully in the warmth of his bed.

Adam even remembered falling asleep. Well, no, not quite falling asleep so much as waking -- waking inside his dream.

In his dream, he found himself in a long, richly decorated hallway. The tiles on the floor were a deep indigo and navy blue, with thin veins of silver worked through in elaborate patterns. Heavy linens and lace of deep blue hung from the walls and were draped between tall pillars of pale yellow or ivory. One side of the corridor opened to several large balconies from which Adam could feel the faintest of breezes blowing. Somewhere, music played.

He listened for a moment, trying to form an association with the music in his mind. It was like nothing that he had ever heard before and yet, at the same time, it was slightly familiar. Adam turned in a slow circle, trying to center in on the haunting and beautiful sound, and stumbled backwards in surprise when he bumped into two figures that had not been there before.

Covered from head to foot in layers of silk and linen and lace, not even their eyes were visible. Bronzed hands held lace veils around their faces, the jewelry on their wrists and ankles chiming as they exchanged childlike giggles, and joining hands, hurried past him, whispering furiously.

In the blinking of an eye they disappeared.

Because he was dreaming . . . and he had to wonder if they had ever really been there at all.

Where the hell was he?

The music was fading now, and Adam tried and failed to focus on the source of it. He figured if this was a dream, he should have been able to find the music and quite possibly the musician.

If this was his dream.

That wasn't a thought that settled well with him and he tried to shrug it off.

A breeze blew across his face, drawing his attention to one of the open balconies. 

Not thinking, just acting on instinct, responding to what some inner voice told him to do, Adam walked to that balcony.

His breath caught in his throat.

The city sprawled beneath him was beautiful. It glittered in rainbow swirls beneath the setting sun, mesmerizing him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes," Adam answered the question before turning to the owner of the voice. He was almost -- almost but not quite -- disappointed when he saw that the owner of the voice was hidden beneath silks and veils like the two young women he had encountered in his dream earlier. His mind supplied the details for his surroundings, and he knew that this woman was Albarasquan, and that he was in the Sun Palace at Dia'sol. Although he had never been there, or even seen any pictures of it. Odd. But it was part of the dream and he would examine it later. "I've never seen anything like it."

The figure turned, and although Adam could not see her features, something about her seemed familiar to him. A part of his mind reached out in recognition, grasping - but not quite finding the placement. Not until she spoke again, her voice quivering ever so slightly. "Adam?"

"Ami?" 

It couldn't be, but Adam knew that it was. Just as he knew that even though this was a dream, that he was breaking a million rules and taboos when his hands rose quickly to peel the veil away from her face. Breaking rules didn't matter however because she was helping him.

"Oh, Adam! It is you!" Ami's squeal of delight was punctuated with a hug, a hug that was so unexpected that it sent him stumbling backwards into the railing of the balcony. "I thought that I was alone here, and I wanted so badly to find you and I did! I really did it!" Ami's dark eyes were sparkling with delight when she looked up at him.

"Find me?" Adam tried to wrap his mind about what was happening. This was a dream, his dream, and his subconscious fears about Ami . . .

"No. No!" Ami shook her head fervently, still clinging to him as though he was her only anchor in the world. "This is real. Well, it's a dream, but it's real too. It's a shared dream. I did it to find you … well, to find out if you were here. And you are, but where, why haven't I seen you?"

"A shared dream? How … Ami --" This wasn't making sense . . . even for a dream.

"I can't explain it right now, I don't have that much time," Ami pried herself away from him, stepping back to peer up at his face. "You look different."

Adam scratched his chin. "I need a shave?"

Ami smiled, "No silly. There's something else . . . where are you, Adam? Why haven't I seen you?"

"I'm not in Albarasque, Ami. That is where we are, right? Albarasque?"

"You're not in Albarasque? Then how are you … how are we --"

"Ami, I don't even know how this is possible. I thought that I was dreaming."

"You didn't question Tutankhamen when we picked him up in our dreams."

The words were stated so matter-of-factly, Ami's arms folded across her chest, her eyes narrowed in a challenge that Adam couldn't really argue with her. And with those words, that gut instinct inside of him told him that this was real; somehow, someway, Ami had found the means to reach him. Across the Daelth Sea no less.

"All right, you win. So, is this your dream or mine?"

"You're starting to sound like Megabyte. I told you, this is a *shared* dream. I don't think that it really belongs to either one of us. It's just a bridge … for us to talk." Ami frowned, and her hand rose to clutch at a small purple and white crystal at the base of her throat. Adam knew it wasn't his imagination that she flickered and faded, almost disappearing before she was solidly in front of him again. 

"I told you, not much time, Adam." As if those words explained everything, Ami took him firmly by the hand and led him away from the balcony. They had a short walk to a small room off the balcony that had numerous pillows on the floor. A room, Adam could have sworn hadn't been there when he first entered the corridor.

Whatever Ami might have said about this being a shared dream, Adam was beginning to believe other wise. They might have been together, but this was a dream world of Ami's making and she was in control here.

"And it's not easy either," Ami informed him crisply. She fell neatly onto the pillows and motioned him to join her. "I've been here for three weeks, and I was terrified that I was alone here, and then I finally contact you. . . and find out that I might be alone anyway."

"You're not alone here, Ami." Adam took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "We might not be in Albarasque, but we know where you are. That's a help."

"We?"

"Yes. Jade and Megabyte are here too. They're with me in Stiborn."

"Stiborn?"

"It's across the sea, to the north --"

"I know that!" The light returned anew to Ami's eyes, and Adam barely had a moment to brace himself before she barreled into him again. "That's great! That's wonderful! I'm -"

Adam bolted upright in bed, jarred from the depths of sleep by the loud peal of thunder outside his window. It took him a moment to orient himself to the absolute darkness of the bedchamber, and it took a moment for his memories and awareness to return.

A dream, it had all been a dream.

Yet, the niggling feeling remained that it had been real as well. That Ami truly had been communicating with him.

And that meant Ami was here - in this world with them - in Albarasque.

Adam was a heartbeat away from calling to Jade and Megabyte telepathically, when he realized how foolish that would be. He didn't want to get their hopes up - not when he couldn't prove anything; not when he didn't even begin to know *how* they would even find Ami. Albarasque was a large country and finding one young woman was bound to be like finding a needle in the haystack.

Slumping back down to his pillows, Adam swore. One way or another, he had to be certain that dream was real.

Then, if it was, he had to find Ami.

Which was bound to be a feat even if he was married to the Damiar Princess of Albarasque.

***


	20. Chapter Twenty

### **Chapter Twenty**

Ami did not jolt to sudden wakefulness. Even with the ship she was on being tossed about on the waves, she eased out of her dreaming state slowly, carefully extricating herself from the web of dreams into the land of waking reality. The transition had to be done slowly; the first time she had attempted it, she had nearly given herself a heart attack, and she knew now that the mind couldn't handle such sudden jumps, not when there was magic involved.

She considered herself lucky to have found both the dreaming crystal and Amideira's private notes on the subject. Whatever else the Damiar Princess was, she had certainly earned the rank of Damiar. She was a powerful mage, and a great deal of what she tried and attempted was frowned upon -- even forbidden -- by Nynie. 

The dreaming crystal, which now hung suspended around Ami's throat and clutched tightly in her hand, had been one of those things that Amideira wrote would have Nynie "stripping her hide for weeks to come." So it was that Ami had found the crystal, and Amideira's notes on the use of it hidden in a small, locked box; the only key was attached to a silver bracelet that Ami wore around her wrist.

It had taken her until the ship set sail from Albarasque to work up the courage to try and use the dreaming crystal to contact the others - if she could contact any of the others; if they were even in this odd world. Although she had been unable to sense them, or contact them telepathically, Ami had a feeling that they were here. She just had to find a different way of reaching them. 

Tonight, she had found Adam, and he had confirmed that her feeling was correct - Jade and Megabyte were with him. It gave Ami some small measure of hope and comfort to know that she was sailing closer to her friends; no matter that Stiborn was a large country of its own, just knowing that she was on the same soil with them would make her sleep a great deal easier. 

And once they were all together again, they could try to find their way home.

Not that she had a clue about how a princess could go about searching the countryside for people that she technically shouldn't even have been in contact with. Not that Ami thought that such a thing would even be easy to do - but she had to cling to the hope and belief that she would have ample opportunity to try. With any luck her husband-to-be would not be the tyrant and barbarian that Sephrine tended to brand all northern men as, and he might be supportive of his wife's whims.

Or he might simply be grateful to have an excuse to have his odd and exotic bride out of sight and out of mind.

The train of her thoughts startled her. She spent so much time acting in the role of Damiar Princess Amideira that the lines were beginning to blur. She was already beginning to accept the notion of a strange marriage to a strange man; and already beginning to devise schemes to use her new power and prestige to her advantage.

Maybe there was more social climber in her than she had ever imagined.

Pushing the uncomfortable thought aside, Ami returned her attention to a more immediate task. Very carefully, after lifting up enough to make certain that Nynie still slept soundly in the other berth across the room and confirming that Sephrine's still breathed in the patterns akin to sleep, Ami lifted the dreaming crystal from around her neck. Her hand slid beneath her pillow, feeling blindly until her fingers closed around the small silk pouch there. 

The crystal she slid into the small pouch and the pouch was returned to its place beneath her pillow. In the morning, when Sephrine and Nynie actually gave her enough room to breathe, she would return the pouch and crystal to the holding box. Now that she knew she *could* use the dreaming crystal to contact the others, she would have to resist the urge to do so again for a few days. Using the crystal to actually draw someone else into the realm of her dreams was more tiring than just trying to tap into the energy that allowed the dreamer to remain lucid in that sleep realm.

Yawning, Ami rolled onto her other side, smiling as she drifted off to a lazy slumber. She was happy with her success, and she was even happier that she had reached Adam. Beneath the pillow, one balled fist clutched the small silk pouch that held her personal Holy Grail.

****

"Amideira."

The voice calling to her sounded as though it came from down a long tunnel. 

"Amideira, wake up, please."

Annoying, like a buzzing in her ear. Ami attempted to turn away from the sound, losing herself in the comforting buffer that was sleep.

"Up with you now, child!"

Rough hands grabbed her, jerking her and shaking her until she was left with no choice but to clamber to a full state of wakefulness.

"Stop it, Nynie! I'm up already!" Ami growled, shaking off the other woman's hands. As she did so, she immediately regretted the loudness of her voice that echoed inside her own head. The reason, she realized, that her voice was echoing was because it was beginning to feel like a small percussion group was having a live performance inside of her head. When she opened her eyes, the light hurt and the percussion group picked up the pace. On top of it all, her mouth felt dryer than the desert. 

"Praise to Damiaren," Sephrine cooed, "You gave us a fright."

Ami attempted to open her eyes, but immediately winced and clenched them closed again. "I was actually having a good night's sleep--"

"It's well past midday, child," Nynie cut her off. Ami felt a mug forced into her hands and she drank it down thirstily without question, her mind not truly registering Nynie's words until she drained the entire mug.

"Midday?" Ami opened her eyes enough to squint at the older woman. 

"Sephrine, why don't you inform Her Majesty that Her Highness is well and with us?" Nynie directed her words to the younger woman, but her gaze was fixed sternly on Ami. 

"Yes, Nynie." 

As the door closed behind the other woman, Ami squinted at Nynie. "Am I in trouble for something?"

In answer, the woman, both nurse and maid and damiar in her own right, dangled the small silk pouch in front of her Ami's eyes. "Is this familiar to you?"

Instinctively, Ami's hand grabbed for the small pouch only to have it snatched back by reflexes that Nynie's age did not betray. "That's mine."

"I know that it's yours. It's been yours since your first name day when your grandmother gifted it to you. I am not here to claim that it isn't yours. But I am here to claim possession of it until you are ready to be more responsible with objects of this much power!"

"I am responsible!" Ami protested, her eyes following the pouch as Nynie tucked it deep into the cleavage of her dress. "I didn't hurt anyone, Nynie! I was careful . . . I was just --" Ami stopped at a loss for words. What excuse could she possibly give? That she was trying to contact her friends from another world?

"You were just dabbling where you do not belong!" Nynie's eyes flashed dangerously. "You know that the dreaming is not a toy to be played with! I have pretended to not notice and to ignore your dabbling, but I should have known better. You were never one to stop when you were in over your head, Amideira --"

"I was not in over my head, I was --"

"And you will not interrupt me!" Nynie stood and snatching the empty mug from Ami's hand, crossed the room with it. She continued her chastisement while refilling the mug, and producing a small pouch of herbs from her pocket that she crushed into the drink. "Last night, whatever you did, you pushed yourself further than what you can handle. We have been trying to wake you for hours. You drained yourself, and you are lucky that you did not become trapped in the dreaming.

"You will not do such a thing again while I am here at your side. And to be certain of that, I am keeping the crystal until such time as you may be trusted with it."

"No!" The vehemence of Ami's protest surprised even her. But she had finally, finally found a way to contact Adam and the others and she could not afford to have Nynie take it from her. A part of her was angry at the woman for her presumption, the other was angry with herself for allowing herself to be caught. "That's not fair!"

"And I suppose you think that a dead -- or worse -- princess is fair to your parents? To your new groom? To your people?" Nynie returned and shoved the mug under Ami's nose. "Drink. It will restore your energy and balance, enough for you to get by. Although I daresay it will not give you enough strength to tap into any source of magical energy."

The smell wafting from the mug reminded Ami of rancid juice and she wrinkled her nose, refusing to take the mug. "No. I don't need it."

"You will drink it or I will bind you up, hold your nose and pour it down your throat."

For a moment, two sets of dark eyes met in a battle of wills, but it was Nynie who won. Seeing that she had no choice, and not doubting that Nynie would carry through on her threats, Ami quickly turned up the mug and downed the concoction, which turned out to taste far worse than it smelled.

Handing the empty mug back to Nynie, she turned away so that the woman would not see the hot tears she could feel burning in her eyes. She had only found her friends a few hours earlier and it seemed that she was losing them again.

***


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

### **Chapter Twenty-One**

The countryside was beautiful. Painted in deep greens and emeralds, often flecked with a rainbow of colors that sprang from wildflowers, flashing past the carriage window, Ami admired the land that was Stiborn. She couldn't recall ever having seen so much green, so much untainted by technology and industrialization; it took her breath away. It was a different sort of beauty than that she saw from the balconies at the Sun Palace; a raw, natural beauty that was not lessened because it was not one of sand and gold and bronze. This place was more to her liking than the sun baked sands of Dia'sol, no matter how beautifully tiled the palace walls; and she figured it was best if she grew accustomed to it anyway - at least until she found Adam, Megabyte and Jade she would be stuck here - married to a man she had never met.

Thinking of the others created a sharp, aching pang in her chest. She wondered if -- no, she knew that Adam would have gotten worried by now. If he believed what she told him, that the dream was real, then he would have gone into his typical protective mode. He would have been expecting her to contact him again, and through no fault of her own, she was unable to.

All right, perhaps the fault was her own - she had made the mistake of doing too much and had gotten caught - but it was easier to be angry at Nynie. The woman refused to return the dreaming crystal; the one night that Ami almost managed to slip it free while Nynie snored into the darkness, she belatedly discovered that the older damiar had placed wards around the pouch. Only Nynie could open it now and retrieve the dreaming crystal - and Ami's attempt had led to another dressing down and another lecture about her lack of responsibility.

She had not tried to go near the crystal since.

"Close the shade already, Amideira. Do not encourage the natives to gape anymore than they already are." The words came from the Damia Reina, cold and detached as always. That detached aloofness made the pang of loneliness Ami felt even deeper, and she wished, for not the first time since loading up the carriages, that she could have ridden with Nynie and Sephrine.

"I am only admiring the landscape," Ami explained, lowering the lace blinds, but only a little. "It's beautiful."

"It's barbaric, just like these savages." The Damia Reina adjusted her veil, dark eyes resting on Ami for only a heartbeat before she looked elsewhere - anywhere but at the daughter that she seemed to care about so little. "Albarasque is beautiful. This is - savage."

"And you're handing me off with my head on a silver platter," Ami muttered.

"What was that?" The question was punctuated by a stinging slap to Ami's hand, forcing it away from the blinds and leaving it stinging and tingling.

"Nothing Mother," Ami replied, jerking her hand into her lap, but not daring to give way to the indignity of rubbing it. She tried and failed to avoid looking at Calend'et, who of course, smirked and settled back comfortably in his seat besides their mother. 

"Not every eye perceives beauty in the same way. Those that can see beauty in every setting are rare indeed." If the Damia Reina's words had been harsh and upsetting, the words of her maternal grandmother, the Damiar Roleran, brought Ami great comfort and soothed her ruffled feathers. Where her mother showed nothing more than a great disdain for Amideira, her grandmother demonstrated that she loved the girl -- and understood her; sometimes Ami believed that Damiar Roleran understood Amideira better than the girl had understood herself. 

Damiar Roleran took Ami's hand between her two old and wrinkled ones, seeming to stare distractedly out of the opposite window the entire time. "Wild flowers are beautiful things, not like our desert blooms, but they give life to this strange land, don't you think Shan'ari?"

The Damia Reina's eyes narrowed to slits as she regarded her mother. "There is nothing as beautiful as one our desert blooms. To see them standing tall and proud and strong with nothing but endless sand dunes between one and the next - there is nothing to compare to that."

"Then we can only hope that the Lion Throne appreciates the bloom we give them."

The elder woman's words made a flush creep into Ami's cheeks and she was grateful for the _kitara_ on this occasion. Her grandmother might have looked feeble, but the woman was still quick in the mind and even sharper with the tongue. This was not the first time that Ami had witnessed Damiar Roleran tricking the Damia Reina into eating her own words, and Ami doubted it would be the last.

She was just sorry that she would not be around to see it.

From one strange world to another. When it seemed that was beginning to feel comfortable in the Sun Palace and the role she played as the Damiar Princess of Albarasque, she was being rudely taken from that situation and thrust into another. In this one, she would be the exotic, foreign bride to a man that she knew absolutely nothing about. A man, who if the words of Sephrine and Nynie were to be believed, was nothing more than a rough, backwoods barbarian who would see her as a trophy and the living seal on a treaty and nothing more.

Oh, and we couldn't forget the most important part of the marriage - the vessel that would give birth to his heir.

The simple thought alone of a strange man touching her, nonetheless a man who cared nothing for her, made Ami shudder.

But would he, could he, truly be as horrible as all that? Didn't ignorance and lack of contact with other cultures dictate some of those words and thoughts? Unconsciously, her hand rose to her throat, tightening around the silver pendant she wore there. Already, she clung to the odd gift from the man who was to be her husband, clung to it and the hope that its existence alone proved that he was more than a cold-hearted northern barbarian. A gift like this took care and thought, the craftsmanship of the finest silversmith, certainly he *wasn't* that terrible. Unless the gift was merely a token, an empty gesture that meant nothing.

Leaning her head against the carriage glass, Ami wished that she was not so very far from home. She could only take minimal comfort in the fact that somewhere out there Adam and the others were there; if, she could ever figure out how to go about finding them. If she could ever get the dreaming crystal back from Nynie.

If, if, if.

"Cheer up, child," her grandmother's hand tightened around hers, "This is a wedding. It is a time of mirth and celebration. As Damiaren wills it, all will be well and fortunate among us."

"I am certainly looking forward to the wedding feast," Calend'et smirked from his seat across from them, a malicious glean shining in his dark eyes as he stared at Ami, although his words sounded like nothing more than friendly teasing on the surface. "I should think that my dear sister would enjoy this opportunity to be the center of attention, the jewel in the crown."

"I will do my duty," Ami said the words quietly, not wanting to allow herself to be coaxed into a battle of wits with Calend'et. She still did not understand why they had brought him along, why he had to be present for this 'joining of kingdoms,' as the Damia Reina referred to it. 

"Because you want to, Amideira, or because you have to?"

"Hush boy!" Her grandmother's voice rang out loudly in the carriage, no longer the voice of a doting old woman, the voice of a powerful and respected mage. "Leave off your childish teasing, you are too old for it and we do not have time for such things. Mind your tongue and your manners, less our hosts think that *we* are the barbarians."

The boy prince flinched, sinking back into his seat with a final glare in Ami's direction. As though it were her fault that he had spoken, her fault that their grandmother had finally grown tired of hearing his taunts. 

Ami, unable to suppress a smirk, was again grateful for the _kitara_.

Those in the carriage lapsed into silence, and Ami returned her attention to studying the countryside of Stiborn. This time, when she pulled back the shade, the Damia Reina said nothing, and Ami was allowed to watch the hills and plains roll by in relative peace and quiet introspection.

She felt her heart give a little leap as the road they traversed turned away, leading upwards, away from the valley and onto higher land. From where she sat she could see the gray shadow of the keep in the distance, standing tall and proud on the hillside. This would be where she and her party would stay until the wedding, Elspera Keep, and despite her fear at meeting the stranger that would be her husband, she could not repress a tiny chill of excitement. 

This was someplace new, someplace different. She could make this an adventure of sorts, an opportunity to explore and learn. After weeks in Albarasque, fate was presenting her with some distraction, new places and new faces. She could make the most of this, exploring this Keep and learning the habits of its people just as she had done in the Sun Palace. Perhaps they even had a library here, where she could learn more about this world that she found herself in.

Perhaps, she might just forget she was being married off for the sake of a treaty and an alliance.

Probably wishful thinking, but she could only hope that this place would provide something of a distraction.

The carriage wound higher on the dirt and stone road, and a tiny ball began to form in her stomach. This was it, this was really it. Unless somehow, someway, she found a way home tomorrow, her entire life would be changing in a few very short weeks. And, Ami knew that there was no way that she could, or would, go home now. Not when she knew that the others were here somewhere, not when she had to find them.

"Amideira, is your veil in place?"

Despite the icy chill and condescending tone in the Damia Reina's voice, for once Ami was not upset by it. The tiny ball was growing bigger, turning into the fluttering of small butterflies.

"Yes, Mother," Ami answered, never turning away from the window. 

Although she knew that she shouldn't, knew that if Adam ever caught wind of it, there would be no end to the chastisement, Ami opened her mind and reached out. Slowly at first, just in case somewhere among the populace of Elspera Province there happened to be someone with telepathic abilities. Careful, oh so careful, probing and touching, brushing her mind lightly against the minds of those gathered at the top of the hill, testing the waters and the mood. 

Ami drew a sharp breath, dropping the shade and slinking back against the seat as *someone* pushed right back. Her shields came down in the blinking of an eye, her heart nearly skipping a beat. 

What . . . or who . . . was that?

"Amideira?" Her grandmother gave her arm a squeeze.

"I --" Heat rushed into her face and Ami felt momentarily foolish. How could she explain her odd reaction? "I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It startled me a bit."

"Better that you not stare out of the window any longer, my dear," Damiar Roleran patted her arm, her voice full of warmth, "Better that our soon to be allies do not think their soon to be princess is too full of naivete and wide-eyed wonder."

"But, this is all so new to me," Ami placed her hand atop of the older woman's, "I am full of naivete and wide-eyed wonder."

"And we shall keep that secret between ourselves."

With a smile, Ami settled back against the carriage seat. Her grandmother always made everything feel so right and everything couldn't be so horrible as what she imagined if her grandmother was by her side. 

She fervently hoped.

***


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

### **Chapter Twenty-Two**

Now, how was this for irony, Megabyte mused as he fell into step besides his father, he was actually going to meet Adam's bride before Adam did. Well, not so much as meet her, from what he understood of Albarasquan culture, being of the male gender he would be fortunate to get within a few meters of the Damiar Princess, but he would be one of the first to greet her. He would be one of the first to lay eyes upon her and the several meters of cloth that would make up the veil that she wore.

Veils, now there was a concept that was absolutely foreign to Megabyte. However, in light of his recent situation and his problems with Sarena, he thought that maybe the Albarasquans had the right idea. Properly hidden and veiled, Sarena wouldn't be nearly the distraction that she was, and she wouldn't be able to advertise herself the way she did. And quite possibly, he wouldn't have found himself in the unenviable position of having to put an end to Lord Marmion's affair. 

Possibly, yes, but not probable. If Megabyte had learned anything about his alter ego, it was that the other man not only lacked decency and respect for others, but he reveled in doing so. Which went a long way towards explaining why the kitchen staff now fell silent whenever Megabyte entered a room, why the servants tip-toed lightly around him, and why Legan watched him as though he fully expected stalked eyes to pop out of Megabyte's head, or rather, Marmion's head. He wasn't Marmion Ruele, and he had no intentions of living the life the other man had led; and people were beginning to notice.

People were beginning to think, as Jade so properly informed him, "that you've either gone mad or grown up." 

He would have preferred the latter to the former, but as long as people were noticing, then he truly didn't care that much.

"Remember, my lord, to keep a respectful distance. The Damia Reina is particular about such things," Legan's voice at his elbow reminded Megabyte of the valet's presence. "And remember that she is a High Priestess of Damiaren before she is Queen. Pay homage to the church --"

"And then the throne," Lord Bial cut in smoothly, dismissing Legan's words with a brief flicker of his wrist, "I think that we can not drill the necessity of proper etiquette into my son's head any further Legan. If he has not taken the words to heart by now, then he never will." The words were spoken lightly, as if in jest, as if Lord Bial truly was not concerned with how his son would receive the queen, heir, and dowager queen of a foreign kingdom, but Megabyte had walked in Marmion's shoes long enough to know that his father was far from calm. 

Had Marmion been there, Megabyte knew the man would have done something, albeit small and petty, to at least create some discomfort and bitterness. But Marmion was not there, Megabyte Damon was, and Megabyte Damon had no intentions of offending a powerful and respected foreign queen. 

Megabyte Damon had no intentions of offending any queen, or king, ever. 

Lady Margot waited for them in the front courtyard, her ladies-in-waiting lined up neatly behind and beside her as she took her proper place besides Lord Bial. As for the Lady Jadina . . . well, the wife of Lord Marmion was conspicuous in her absence. 

[Jade?] Megabyte sent the thought to her telepathically, not even trying to hide his impatience. He knew it wouldn't do any good to get annoyed with her, here, as in their world, Jade paid little attention to any sort of chastisement from Megabyte. Besides which, she would receive enough of said chastisement from Lady Margot before the day was done. 

[Coming!] She punctuated her frantic exclamation as she raced, quite literally, into the courtyard. Dressed in her riding habit, her skirts held in one hand and hiked up to her ankles as no properly bred lady would dare do unless the devil himself was chasing her, she charged forward to his side. Her other hand, the one not occupied with holding her skirts up high enough to permit running, attempted to hold a large, feather adorned hat, a gift from Queen Carrina, on her head. 

If the Keep thought that Lord Marmion had gone mad, times like this made him wonder what they thought of Lady Jadina.

"I'm sorry," Jade pulled to a halt before his parents, letting her skirts drop, her face flushed bright pink. Several strands of unruly blonde escaped from beneath the hat, and as Megabyte watched the reactions on the faces of the current Lord and Lady of Elspera Keep, in particularly that of Lady Margot, he felt sorry for the words Jade would hear later. "I was out riding and somehow I lost track of time. I didn't mean to be out that long --"

"Where is Sarena?" Lady Margot nodded to her personal maids, and the women moved instantly, fluttering around Jade in an attempt to hurriedly put her to rights; as much as they could on such short notice. 

"I -- I --" Jade stopped, the words that had clearly meant to be a lie dying on her lips under Lady Margot's watchful eye. Her head dropped, allowing one of the maids to replace hatpins and tuck hair beneath the monstrosity of a hat, and her voice grew smaller, "She didn't go riding with me. She was feeling ill."

"Convenient." The word was a low snarl and an accusation from Legan, loud enough for only Megabyte to hear. And while Megabyte was able to ignore the man and pretend to not have heard the word, he couldn't ignore the slow burn of anger and annoyance that Jade's words produced in him. Not anger towards Jade, but towards Sarena and towards Marmion Ruele for ever creating this frustrating situation.

Sarena kept her distance, just as he had made it clear that she should. She kept her distance, but went out of her way to remind him in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that she was still there, an annoying itch just beyond reach that would not go away. What better way to get his attention than by raising his ire, by embarrassing him and making certain that Lady Jadina was not only late, but most improperly dressed, by Stiborn standards, at this time.

"Too ill to see that her lady is properly attended to?" Lady Margot raised an eyebrow. 

"No, that wasn't it at all. I didn't want her out if she wasn't well. It's my fault, really. I should have known better. I do apologize, Mother, Father . . . Marm."

The fact that she included him in her apology, gave Megabyte a start. That was unexpected, and it made him bite back the words he had been about to deliver to her with regards to how Sarena was not worth the breath Jade wasted defended her. He and Jade got along a little better these days, but there were still things that could send them bickering like children - Sarena was one of those things. Jade thought Megabyte was unnaturally cold and harsh towards Sarena, and he, of course, couldn't explain why he was that way.

It was a lose-lose situation.

This time, Megabyte swallowed his annoyance and let the words remain unspoken.

Something tickled the back of his mind, a subtle and soft brushing against his awareness. It caused him to react instinctively, pushing against it, warding it away before he turned his head enough to glare at Jade. [Something you wanted to say?]

Still being attended to by Lady Margot's attendants, it was hard to catch sight of her between the moving and busy bodies. [I said I'm sorry. And it won't happen again. What more do you want?]

[You just -] Megabyte stopped in mid-sentence. If Jade had been fluttering around inside of his head, she might have denied it, but she wasn't any good at hiding things. She wouldn't have reacted with those words, with the blank puzzlement and hurt that said she was bothered that he didn't accept her apology. [Never mind.]

If it wasn't Jade pressing against him, attempting to slip past his shields, then they might have a few more things to worry about. Like the possibility of there actually being Tomorrow People, or at least telepaths, in this world.

[Marm?]

[Nothing. Forget it.]

[Fine. Be that way.]

By the time the carriages, and the wagons, carrying the Damiar Princess of Albarasque and her court pulled into the courtyard, Jade was by his side, looking as much the Lady Jadina as she possibly could. But Megabyte was too distracted to pay much attention to the goings on around him, already regretting the fact that he had pushed that elusive telepathic touch away instead of trying to find whom it belonged to.

Not that the first two carriages held much of interest. Those carriages contained the attendants of the royal family and a few priestesses and acolytes from the Temple of Damiaren. Only one of those women actually held his attention for more than a moment, and that was because Megabyte could actually see her face. Far older than the priestesses, acolytes and attendants with her, she still wore the veil, but it was thin and light and Megabyte was certain was worn more for tradition than any other reason. Aside from its sheerness, her veil also only hid her nose and mouth, and eyes as dark as a hawk's peered out at those assembled in the courtyard, and Megabyte received the distinct impression that they were all being measured.

Her eyes lingered the longest on Jade, taking in the outlandish hat and the slightly mussed riding dress and causing the girl to blush a few different shades of red. Something sparked in those dark eyes, and Megabyte could have sworn he saw the hint of a smile beneath that veil, but he blinked and it was gone, replaced with the hard eyes and face of a woman of wisdom and age. 

"I don't think she liked me," Jade whispered as the woman at last turned away.

"It's the hat," Megabyte muttered, grateful that they were in public and that Jade would not slug him for the words.

[Is she there yet?] The inquiry came from Adam, laced with more than a little bit of curiosity. He was waiting for Megabyte's first impression; not that it would change anything, but as was often said, "Forewarned is forearmed."

[Well, she's here, but we haven't seen her yet,] Megabyte replied, his words meant for Adam only. The first impression report was strictly between them, namely because Adam had actually shown a bit of embarrassed humility when Jade accused him of trying to judge a book by its cover. [Although I think they brought half of the Sun Palace with them.]

[If the progress being made on my royal apartments is indication, we have more than enough room for it.]

[I wouldn't make any bets on that, pal.] 

The first to emerge from the royal carriage was Prince Calend'et. Slightly taller than Megabyte, with dark skin and dark eyes and a boyish face, he carried himself like royalty and like he knew that all eyes were upon him. He greeted each of them in perfect, only slightly accented Stibornan, placing a kiss upon the hands of Lady Margot and Jade.

He was the kind of guy that Megabyte had always wanted to deck.

The Damiar Princess Amideira was next, and as the priestess from early announced her name, something tugged at the back of Megabyte's mind. One of the conversations that he and Adam had while Adam was visiting the keep, something about names and titles, an elusive thread of thought that he couldn't seem to grasp and bring to the forefront of his mind. Not until the Damiar Princess stepped from the carriage, hidden and swathed beneath layers of lace and silk and linen. Not until he saw her head turn, that motion not hidden by veil, not until he felt the mixed waves of shock and absolute hysterical relief ram into him.

Marmion and Marmaduke. Jadina and Jade. Amideira --

"Ami," he both said the word softly and sent it telepathically to the woman that was somewhere beneath the layer of veils. 

[Megabyte! It's you!] Ami's delighted telepathic squeal would have been bearable. 

Would have been had it not been in perfect synchronicity with Jade's, [Ami! Marm, it's Ami!]

[Ami?] Adam sounded both mystified and relieved. [Ami is there? Ami, you're there?]

This was just too rich. Megabyte actually chuckled softly, not caring about the odd looks that Legan and several of the gathered servants gave him, after all according to rumor, Lord Marmion had taken leave of his senses.

[Adam, Ami is your bride.]

At that announcement, the Damiar Princess of Albarasque, alias Ami Jackson, tripped down the final step.

***


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Worlds Away - Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Things were almost looking up. Almost in the sense that Ami had found her friends and fellow Tomorrow People, almost in the sense that marrying Adam was far better than being stuck wed to some man she didn't know. Almost, except for the fact that she couldn't stop Nynie and Sephrine from fussing over her as though they expected her to go weak-kneed and pass out at any moment. Of course, their behavior was expected, after the Damiar Princess tripped and nearly fell flat on her face for all of Elspera Keep to see. Nynie and Sephrine naturally thought she was ill, or too worked up with the stress of the journey; and she couldn't tell them otherwise.

What would she say? That she had tripped and stumbled because Lord Marmion Ruele - and Ami was still having a terrible time wrapping her mind around the idea of Megabyte being a lord of any sort -- had been speaking to her telepathically? She couldn't very well let them know that Prince Adam Aldaric was one of her best friends and her fellow Tomorrow Person, could she?

Of course not. So, that meant putting up with their fussing, worrying, and fretting and hoping that they grew convinced of her wellness before Nynie decided to use her cure-all and pour a pot of moleswort tea down Ami's throat. All things being equal, this was not how Ami had anticipated the reunion with her friends. All things being equal, she didn't know precisely what she anticipated, but she knew that it did not involve being swept off to her suite and being forced to lie upon the couch while Nynie and Sephrine smothered her.

"Quite the first impression that you made."

"If I wanted a lecture to make me feel horrible, I would go to my mother," Ami sat up, dodging out of the way of the wet, and no doubt cold, cloth that Nynie was attempting to press to her forehead. She ignored the glare the older woman gave her, straightening her dress. "I'm fine, now, really. No more lying down. No more water. And no more wet cloths."

"Amideira, you really shouldn't get yourself worked up," Sephrine cooed from her other side, smoothing down Ami's hair.

All those times as a little girl when she had dreamed of being a princess, she had never imagined that it would be like this. There was only so much coddling and doting a person could take, and Ami was fast approaching her limit.

"I'm not --" She forced herself to pause, drawing a deep breath and releasing it slowly. Snapping at Sephrine would only serve to further convince them that she was in dire need of rest and relaxation. And Ami had no intentions of spending her first day at Elspera Keep, her first day with Jade and Megabyte, sound asleep because of a cup of Nynie's special brew of moleswort tea. "I'm not worked up. I'm actually -- excited. And I don't want to spend my first day here all cooped up."

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go traipsing around the Keep."

Ami scowled at Nynie's back because *traipsing* around the Keep was precisely what she had in mind to do. She wanted to see this place, and she wanted the chance to talk to Jade and Megabyte alone; telepathy was wonderful, but it wouldn't do her any good to get distracted by telepathic conversations. That would just further convince Nynie and Sephrine that she was a bit under the weather. 

Still, she kept her voice smooth as silk, only the fist bunching her skirts giving away her annoyance, "The Lady Jadina did offer a tour and I thought --"

"The Lady Jadina is a child, and it would seem that she is an uncontrollable one at that."

The scowl became a glare. If Nynie wanted to insult Ami and make her feel like a child, then she would not stop her, but the woman had a lot of nerve insulting Jade. She didn't even know Jade, how could she possibly come to any conclusion about her? 

"You don't even know her, Nynie. I'm certain she's quite nice --"

"I'm certain she is as well, but she was hardly appropriately dressed even by Stibornan measures. Unless I miss my guess, that was a riding habit the girl was dressed in. And with dirt on the hems of her skirts."

"So now you're an expert on Stibornan culture?"

"Don't take that tone with me, Amideira. Just because we are no longer at the Sun Palace doesn't mean that I won't take a switch to you." Nynie returned to her side, handing her a goblet filled with a dark red wine. "This will restore you."

Ami sniffed at the goblet. She thought that she caught the faintest hint of some type of herb, but thankfully, not moleswort. Still, she did not even take a sip from the goblet. "I told you, I feel fine."

"Drink it, or there will be no tour of the Keep for you."

Her head whipped up so suddenly that Ami thought she would wrench her neck. "You're going to allow me to do it? Really?"

"Sephrine and I will be with you, of course, but I'm old, not foolish. I know you, girl. And I know that if I don't permit you this foolish fancy, then you'll just creep out and do it on your own anyway. Now drink."

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, for once Ami did precisely as she was told.

***

The tour of the Keep proved to be the welcome distraction and balm to her soul that Ami desperately needed. Even with Nynie and Sephrine hovering in just breaths behind her, their low voices, and in Nynie's case, not so low, a constant reminder that she was not alone, that she was still a princess, Ami felt more at peace than she had in some time. It was more than just being able to walk around without the presence of guards monitoring her every step. It was more than just the excitement of being in a new place. It was the realization that she was home, that she had found her way home. And for Ami, the definition of home had changed over the last month. Home was no longer the place you went because they couldn't throw you out. Nor was it a place to hang your hat, as the cliche went. Home was her friends. Wherever they were, that was her place, too.

That wasn't to say that she didn't miss Earth or her mother. She did, and quite desperately at times, but just knowing that she wasn't alone, being able to hear the guys again... Homecoming had never felt so sweet. 

She glanced at the blond girl keeping pace beside her. Jade winked, then schooled her face out of that much missed impish grin, into a serious, more business-like mask. The mask of Lady Jadina Ruele, one day lady of the Keep and the wife of Lord Marmion Ruele. Marmion. Megabyte. Jade. Jadina. The similarities were startling and not for the first time, Ami wondered about their counterparts, wondered what, if anything they might share with them. She snickered quietly. Well, in Jade and Megabyte's case, the sharing of their counterparts had led them to the 'blissful' state of matrimony. Highly ironic and quite amusing to someone who knew her friends' history as well as she did. To be honest, Ami was quite surprised that Megabyte hadn't tried to bolt at the first opportunity. She kept the thought to herself though, realizing how hurtful it might seem to Jade and the last thing she wanted was to hurt her friend's feelings. Not when she had just found her again. 

[So what do you think so far?] Jade 'pathed, even as she continued to verbally spill out the attractions of the Keep.

[It's beautiful. Perfect.] Ami 'pathed back wistfully. [You have so much freedom here.]

[Freedom? You must be joking.]

[You're the Lady of this Keep, Jade, or you will be. And you have more freedom here than I, in my role as Damiar Princess, have had since coming here . . . in my entire life actually.]

There was a touch of concern from her friend. [Have things really been that terrible, Ami?]

[I suppose it's all a matter of perspective,] Ami admitted, and gave a quick glance over her shoulder, [Look behind us. They're always there. Following me. Worrying about me. Telling me what I should and shouldn't do and how I should behave. It's been ... suffocating.]

She watched as Jade made a quick and cursory glance back at Nynie and Sephrine. [But that's part of being a princess, right? The ladies in waiting?]

[I think that Nynie and Sephrine are so much more than ladies in waiting,] Ami shivered slightly in the coolness of the castle, and actually surprised herself by pulling the veil more tightly around herself. Only six weeks in this odd world, and she had already become acclimated to the dry heat of Albarasque. The warm and tepid temperatures of Stiborn felt slightly cool to her.

[What do you mean?]

"If Her Highness is cold, we can stop our tour for today, and retire to our rooms," Nynie called out from behind her, causing Ami to roll her eyes.

[That's what I mean,] Ami 'pathed to Jade before turning to look back at Nynie. "I am fine, Nynie. I may have felt a brief chill, but it has past. And I am enjoying the tour." She nodded to Jade and sent a picture of herself winking, "Please continue Lady Jadina, we meant no interruption."

"Certainly, Your Highness," Jade's lips quirked into an almost smile at the honorific and she hurriedly looked away, struggling to again school her face. [And I thought that I did that well.]

[Did what well?]

[I'm only a lady, Ami, but you really are a princess.]

Ami pulled the ends of the shoufa more tightly around here, even though this time she knew that the chill she felt had nothing to do with the temperature of the Keep. 

And she didn't respond to Jade's remark, because oddly she found she didn't know how to.

*** End of Chapter Twenty-Three  



	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Worlds Away - Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

[Adam, Ami is your bride.]

Adam had been immensely grateful to every god this world had that he was alone in library when Megabyte made that announcement. It was only by luck that he was not being beaten to a pulp by Stewart or Hagen this morning, or he certainly would have found himself eating Stewart's sword when Megabyte said those words. 

Things had gotten a bit confused after that, and he hadn't been able to find out until a bit later precisely what happened. Megabyte's announcement caused Ami to trip, resulting in the Damiar Princess being swept away by her attendants so that she could 'rest and recuperate' from the journey. Ami, when he tried to speak to her, was not very talkative and more than a little annoyed, not so much with him, or even with Megabyte, but with her attendants. She promised to be in touch later, when she could actually "breathe without having one of them check my lung capacity."

Well, he had wanted to find Ami, had been worried about her ever since that odd dream and it looked like fate was paying attention. Of course, if he had been paying closer attention, he might have put two and two together and not been so surprised by the revelation. After all, he had been the one to point out to Megabyte how similar their names were in this world to the names they had in their world; and he was the one who never really paid that much attention to the name of his bride.

He just worried about having to go through with the wedding.

To tell the truth, he was still worried about having to go through with the wedding.

In a way, he envied Megabyte. At least his matrimonial problems had more or less resolved themselves. Yes, there was that little problem with Sarena but that was taking care of itself thanks to Megabyte displaying the moral fiber and spine Adam had always known and teased his friend about having. And with Megabyte and Jade, things were different; they took up the lives of their alter ego's, without a lot to worry about. Marmion and Jadina were already married - and living on opposite ends of the Keep and avoiding one another as much as possible. Yes, Megabyte and Jade had brought some changes to that relationship dynamic, but there was no pressure on them.

In the official grand scheme of things, Lord Marmion and Lady Jadina were insignificant. Their every move was not watched, and aside from the debate between whether Marmion was insane or growing up, their lives were not commented on. And even the sanity-maturity debate stayed within the walls of Elspera Keep. Besides, it wasn't like his every move was being watched and commented on by the entire court. 

Adam knew that he and Ami would have no such luxury. They would be stuck under the microscope and analyzed. Every word would have to be perfect, every agreement would have to be honored, or the treaty would collapse most likely taking Ami with it. He had just gotten all of his friends back, and he wasn't about to have them separated now.

But marriage? Marriage to one of his best friends? As much as he dearly loved Ami, he had to admit the idea made his skin break out in a cold sweat. 

[Now, that's what every woman wants to hear from her husband to be,] Megabyte snickered. 

[Megabyte, keep your mind out of my thoughts and on what you're supposed to be doing,] Adam 'pathed with a mental rap.

[Hey, I'm not the one who's broadcasting loud enough for the entire kingdom to hear.]

Was he? Adam felt his cheeks color. What was wrong with him? Since when had he ever been so lax with his shielding?

Since coming here. Since learning that the rules were different here, finding out that in order to be heard by Megabyte and Jade, only a day's ride away, that he needed to concentrate a bit harder and focus a little bit more. Since he began to take for granted the fact that telepathy didn't work as smoothly and easily as it had on earth.

Clearly it still worked well enough when one was distracted or highly emotional.

[If it makes you feel any better, I don't think Ami's paying attention at the moment,] Megabyte replied dryly. [You really think that it's going to be that bad? I mean, if I can survive Jade,] Megabyte sent him a visual picture of him shrugging, [You and Ami always got along far better than me and Jade.]

[It's not about getting along,] Adam reclined in his seat, shaking his head although he knew that Megabyte couldn't see the action unless he projected it. Of course, for all he knew, he might have been projecting it. [It's about . . . ] 

Adam trailed off, not certain how to put it into words that Megabyte might understand. Hell, he didn't even understand why his reaction to the knowledge that Ami was to be his bride ran the range of happy relief to blood chilling fear and every single emotion in between. 

"Maybe you're just taking this too seriously, pal." The familiar tingling along the hairs of his arms and back of his neck as the air became charged with electricity accompanied the words. A loud popping sound echoed before Adam could yell at Megabyte to *not* teleport in, his friend solidified beside him. 

"It's marriage, Megabyte. It is serious," Adam glared at him from his seat, "And you're not supposed to do that. What if Master Ilarms, or Stewart, or Hagen had been here?"

"Hagen? In a library?" Megabyte snorted and dropped into the seat beside Adam. "Tell me another one."

"What about Master Ilarms then? Or what if Legan had seen you? We've talked about this, Megabyte, you can't just --"

Megabyte held up a hand, "Adam, relax, all right? I was completely alone. I made sure of it. Besides, the last thing I want is to get burned at the stake for being a witch."

The words were said in jest, but Adam knew that that there was a genuine worry behind them. Teleportation had been one of the many topics of their conversations; while they had no way of knowing how the natives would perceive it, they couldn't take the chance that it would be ill received. Even if Adam could pass it off as some sort of new magic, which he very much doubted he could considering he would have to prove it Stewart, and perhaps even Halista, and they would not be easily fooled. No, it was far, far better to just err on the side of caution, hence the reason that Adam had not taken the liberty of teleporting to Elspera Keep just for the sake of visiting with Megabyte and Jade.

"You could have been a lot more careful by not coming here at all," Adam pointed out. 

"Yeah, well, I'm here now," Megabyte reached across the table, pulling the book that Adam had been reading towards him. It was on myths, namely the myths regarding something called 'Stepping Stones,' which seemed to be some kind of magical portal, but the story was just that - a myth. "'Sides, it's not like I was doing anything anyway, except trying to stay out of the way and not offend the Damia Reina. Which is a lot easier said than done. I think the woman is looking for a reason to be offended."

"It would certainly give her a reason to pack up her *daughter* and go back to Albarasque."

Megabyte flipped through the book. "Why would she want to do that? Kind of kills the treaty doesn't it?"

"My understanding is that the Damia Reina doesn't want the treaty," Adam leaned back in seat, stretched his legs and folded them at the ankles, "This was all due to the power and influence of Damiar Roleran."

"Oookaaay," the other man stretched out the word, blinking curiously at Adam. "Then if the Damia Reina doesn't want Ami to marry you, why are they here?"

"The Damia Reina doesn't want Amideira to marry Adam Aldaric," Adam corrected. "Other than that --"

"News flash, pal, you are Adam Aldaric and Ami is Amideira, so --"

"Do you want me to answer your question or not, Megabyte?" Adam paused and waited for Megabyte's nod before he continued, "The real power behind the Sun Throne is the Temple of Damiaren. As a High Priestess of Damiaren, the true power in the Imak'tiq family belongs to the dowager reina, Damiar Roleran. 

"For years, I guess, Stiborn and Albarasque were ... rivals ... if not blood enemies. Stiborn has numerous resources, economic power, and with its varied landscape isn't an easy country to take or invade. Stiborn also has had the support of the Temple of Zolnar. That's the god of war, by the way."

"Yeah, I did do my own reading, Adam."

Adam smirked. "Anyway, Albarasque has always had a powerful navy *and* the Temple of Damiaren behind them."

"A navy? In the desert? Don't you find that weird?"

"They also have miles of coastline that they've been defending for years against Carelle Ichtung and pirates."

"This history lesson does have something to do with here and now, right?"

"World War II did have something to do with Germany becoming East Germany and West Germany, right?"

"Point." 

Convinced that he now had Megabyte's full attention, Adam pulled his thoughts back on track. "At least once every sixty or seventy years, Stiborn and Albarasque would go to war. No one really got anything out of it, the war usually ended in stalemate, but they both kept trying. Except for the last almost ninety years. No declarations of war, no attacks, not since Stiborn and Albarasque combined their forces to prevent the expansion of Carelle Ichtung's borders ninety years ago."

"They had a treaty then?"

Adam shook his head. "Not Stiborn and Albarasque. The Temples of Zolnar and Damiaren. Some agreements were made, and I still haven't found out anything about the details of those, but Stiborn and Albarasque stopped going to war. Anyway, at that time, the Damiar Reina apparently suggested a true alliance treaty between the two countries, but the Temple of Damiaren refused to sanction it."

"Huh? But they already had a treaty --"

"No, they had some sort of binding contract with the Temple of Zolnar," Adam held up a hand to forestall any other questions. "I'm having enough trouble with royal politics, I'm not even going to try to understand the theocratic politics between the different temples."

"Okay, so why didn't they agree to the alliance? The Temple of Damiaren?"

"They didn't want the blood tainted. Stibornans aren't exactly renown as mages, Megabyte. Once they had to have been more powerful, but," Adam trailed off for a moment, thinking of the Swords of Houses, thinking of Halista and her rumored associations with the Temple of Damiaren. 

"But?" Megabyte prompted.

Adam pulled his thoughts back to the here and now. "But, they aren't now. Prince Adam Aldaric is the first in several generations to actually be considered as a candidate for true training and study at the Temple of Damiaren. And that also means that he was first to be considered as a likely candidate for marriage to a member of the royal family of Imak'tiq."

"All because he's a mage? That's kind of snooty."

"Part of it is snobbery, I'm sure. But the other part has to do with heirs. Chances are pretty damn good that if you marry two powerful mages off to one another that their children will be mages. At least, that's their thoughts. Without knowing whether or not being a mage is genetically linked, there's no way to guarantee that. But right now, I think that Mendel is not going to be found in any of these books."

"Speaking of books, what are you reading?" Megabyte returned his attention to the open book, resuming flipping through the pages.

"Bullfinch's Mythology."

The red head blinked at him. "Really?"

"No, not really. Not in the literal sense anyway. It is a collection of myths though, mostly Stibornan. A few from Carelle Ichtung and Elaisias. Nothing helpful."

"Right." Megabyte didn't look up from the book, which was why his next words surprised Adam. "So, the Damia Reina doesn't want this marriage, but Damiar Roleran does. And King Martine does, but Adam Newman doesn't?"

"I never said that!" Adam objected. He ignored the incredulous look that the other young man tossed his way, or tried to, "It's just that now that I know *who* the Damiar Princess really is, a part of me thinks that it would be easier to marry a complete stranger."

"And a part of me thinks that a part of you is nuts," Megabyte remarked. "I mean, it's like I said before, if I can handle being married to Jade then you and Ami should be no sweat."

"Except there's a difference. You and Jade came into this already married, well Marmion and Jadina were already married. With this marriage . . . it's going to be a real marriage, Megabyte. There is going to be a ceremony and vows exchanged and expectations to meet and . . ." Adam drifted off, unable to find the words to convey what he wanted to say, or at least unable to relay those thoughts to Megabyte. "I don't think that I'm ready for this."

"Cold feet?" Megabyte teased.

The words brought a small smile to Adam. "Maybe." Then, he shifted, raking his hands through his hair, "I don't know, Megabyte. It's just that when I think about it all, the big picture, really think about it, I realize that this is so much broader in scope than what I previously thought. You really are a lord, I really am a prince and I don't even know anymore where we stop being the old us and start being the new."

"Do we?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do we ever stop being the old us? I mean, I still think I'm Megabyte and I'm pretty sure that you're still Adam. And Jade is still Jade, and if Ami's attitude is indication, she's definitely still Ami." The red head shrugged, "Maybe there isn't a place where one stops and the other begins, maybe we're just kind of . . . meshing."

"Meshing, huh?"

Another shrug and the familiar lopsided grin, "Sounds as good as anything else doesn't it?"

"I guess it does," Adam returned his friend's smile easily and allowed them to lapse into a comfortable silence for a few minutes. 

It was Megabyte who broke the silence first, standing and slapping his palms against his thighs. "I better get back before someone misses me. That's if your panic attack is over?"

"Very funny, Megabyte."

"Well, is it?"

"I think that I'll manage to hold it together for a few more days," Adam remarked dryly.

"Well, you know how to reach me," Megabyte flashed him a cocky smile and teleported out of the library.

Rapping his fingers on the table, Adam stared at the space where his friend had stood only a few seconds previously. He could, and would, hold it together a few more days. A few more days and a few more weeks, what more could he do? And what other choice did he have?

He was the High Prince Adam Aldaric and nothing had changed.

Everything had changed.

For better or for worse remained to be seen.

*** End of Chapter Twenty-Four


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Worlds Away - Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Adam."

The voice and the very insistent shaking of his shoulder pulled Adam from a deep and quite comfortable sleep. He clawed his way to full wakefulness while attempting to gain his bearings. The bedchamber, which had been totally dark when he drifted off to sleep, was now lit by the soft flickering glow of the bedside lantern, which he squinted and looked away from, giving a groan as the light bore into his eyes. Face buried in the relative safe harbor of his pillow, he ground his words through his teeth, "Someone had better be dead, Stewart."

"You really were sleeping like a log. I don't know who Stewart is, but it's not me."

The all too familiar crisp British accent banished the last remaining traces of sleep. Adam bolted upright in bed, his eyes searching the barely lit darkness for his unexpected bedchamber guest. He didn't have to search far, considering that she was sitting on the unoccupied side of his bed with her legs crossed, a whimsical smile on her face. 

"Ami? What are you doing here?"

"Saying hello to you," Ami fluffed and tucked an unused pillow between her legs, "what does it look like?"

"You can't be here."

"And now you make it sound like you really don't want to see me," Ami sniffed. "I teleport all this way, and having to slip out without waking Nynie, and all you can say is --"

"You teleported? Here?"

"Well, I certainly didn't saddle up my horse and ride. Besides, from what I understand, I could never have made it to the Palace in one night. And there would be such a scandal if the *Damiar Princess* just happened to be riding through the countryside to meet her fiancé." Ami propped her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow resting on her knee, "Aren't you even going to say hello?"

"Hello. Now get out of here before Stewart hears us. He's sleeping in the next room, you know?" 

This was absolutely unbelievable. He would have expected this sort of intrusion from Megabyte, or even from Jade, but not from Ami. Ami was normally more restrained than the aforementioned two Tomorrow People, but Adam supposed there was a first time for everything. And while he wasn't averse to seeing Ami, this was neither the time -- and it was far from the place. There was no way he could possibly explain her presence to Stewart, and he was relatively certain that there was no way she could explain her subsequent absence from the Keep.

"So I take it he's your bodyguard. Or," her mouth quirked upward wickedly, "Or is the High Prince more interested in boys than princesses?"

The absolute brazen innuendo in her words forced Adam to snap his jaw shut. He blinked at her as he tried to wrap his brain around the teasing words he would have expected from Hagen, not from the young woman sitting on his bed as though she owned that portion of it, far more wide awake than anyone should be at this hour.

"That's not even funny," Adam snapped more harshly than he intended. He gave up on the attempt to adjust his bedclothes for modesty's sake, after all, it was Ami who had barged into his bedchamber, and it was Ami who could feel uncomfortable. Although, discomfort appeared to be the one thing that she was not feeling. "And Stewart is not a boy." 

"Touchy, touchy," Ami shook her head, "Are you always this grumpy when you first wake up? If so, you should tell me now so that I'm warned ahead of time. A wife does need to know whether or not she should avoid her husband in the morning."

The words were light but they were more effective at dispelling lingering drowsiness than any splash of cold water. Ami, too, caught their slap, her teasing demeanor sobering until the two of them were quiet, staring at each other from across the distance of beds and bloodlines and friendship.

"Ami," Adam spoke up, his voice somehow sounding even louder to his ears now than it had before. He gave a glance at the outer door, as though he expected Stewart to come barging in at any moment, which was entirely possible, and sent his next words into her mind, [You know you shouldn't be here.]

[I know,] she admitted, her fingers now plucking the edges of the pillow, [But I wanted to see you. I figure that if the *Damiar Princess Amideira* isn't allowed to even lay eyes on the *High Prince* before the bridal presentation that at least *I* could see *you.*]

[But why?]

[Why not?] Ami shrugged, [I just . . . I thought that we should talk.]

[We have talked.]

[Not like this!] To punctuate her meaning, she gestured between them, indicating their telepathic conversation. [And especially not like this when I'm over one hundred miles away. And this is more than a little weird, Adam. We should talk about it.]

Adam knew that she was right. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that she was one hundred percent correct in her words and her approach. He just hated the fact that she had gotten it into her head to discuss this in the middle of the night, and had pulled him from a very sound sleep to do it. Not to mention the fact that she had teleported into his bedchamber, the one place he could never, ever explain her being. 

Well, he couldn't exactly explain her presence in the Lion Palace at all, but there were other places far less scandalous.

[I had to wake you up first,] Ami pointed out. [You were sleeping like the dead.]

Adam blinked, berating himself too late for his lapse in shielding. He was definitely going to have to be more careful about that in the future. It wasn't the first time it had happened since coming here . . . and he was very much afraid that it wouldn't be the last.

[Believe it or not, Ami, some of us like to sleep at night.]

[I like it too. And I would be doing it, but . . . Adam, are we really going to do this?]

[Do we have any other choice?] 

[We could make a break for it.]

The complete earnestness in her eyes made Adam smile. [And how far do you think we would get?]

[I hate it when you're so logical.] This time, her words were punctuated by a punch to the pillow. [I just can't believe that this is happening. First, I'm here and I'm a princess and then I find out that I'm getting married, which is horrible enough, but then I find out that I'm supposed to get married to you -]

[Thanks,] Adam interjected dryly.

Ami's eyes widened and she drew a sharp breath, shaking her head. Her hand reached out for his, [I didn't mean it the way that it sounded! I just meant that ... marriage. You know, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer ... it's serious ... and it's ... it's real. And I've never even had a serious boyfriend and now I'm supposed to get married all for the sake of some treaty? It's unfair!]

[Whoever told you life was fair, was lying, Ami]

[Oh, don't start in with that tired old cliche. I know, life isn't fair. It's not fair until we're dead and we're still likely to get screwed in the afterlife. I know that all right, but would you allow me the common courtesy to pout if I want to. God knows, I can't do with Nynie around and I'm longing for a really good snit.]

Her words brought a smile to Adam's lips. More than a smile, really. He actually chuckled softly, causing Ami to glare at him, her eyes flashing with injury and indignation. 

"You're laughing at me!"

"No, I'm not," Adam shook his head and pressed his fingers to her lips, reminding her to be silent. [All right, maybe I am, but you have a unique way of putting things into a very skewed perspective.]

[My perspective is not skewed,] Ami objected. [And how come you're so calm about this?]

[Because it could be a lot worse.]

[And how's that?]

[Well, for starters, you could really be the Damiar Princess Amideira, or I could really be High Prince Adam Aldaric, and then one of us would not be here and the other really would be marrying a complete stranger for the sake of a treaty.] Adam paused and took her hands in his, giving her a smile, [But, that's not the case at all. We're friends. We're best friends, and I think that makes a difference. Besides, if Megabyte and Jade can do this, I don't think that we should have any real problems.]

[You just want to get rid of me so that you can go to sleep.]

[That too.] Reaching out, Adam pulled her into a friendly hug, [And don't forget the big picture. Once this wedding is out of the way, we can all put our heads together and try to find a way home.]

Ami clung to him a moment, her head resting on his shoulder. Adam didn't even want to think about how bad things would look if Stewart chose that moment to check on his prince, but even that thought didn't make him release his friend. Sometimes he forgot that she was younger than he was, forgot that despite her stubbornness and backbone, in some ways Ami was still just barely beyond her teens and not quite solidly into the realm of womanhood. In some ways, being Tomorrow People made them grow up, and in some ways, it simply held them apart from their peers.

He held her because he realized that they both needed this, this one quiet moment to truly deal with the hand fate had dealt them, and to deal with each other. And despite his earlier fears, Adam felt the truth behind his own words. There was no reason why he and Ami couldn't be mature enough to handle this; there was no reason why they couldn't deal with this with the same aplomb as Megabyte and Jade. They were still themselves, still Adam Newman and Ami Jackson, still friends, and nothing, not even this marriage or anything else that came with it, could change that.

*** End of Chapter Twenty-Five


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Worlds Away - Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

  
"I swear, by Damiaren's orb, I do not understand what all the sourness is about," Damiar Roleran tucked Ami's arm deep within the crook of her own arm, patting the girl's hand. "There is neither anything wrong with this land or this weather. But, I suppose, people never change. Given enough idle time and boredom, even the best will find something to complain about."

Ami couldn't help but smile as she walked through the Keep's gardens with her grandmother. The old woman was a delight to spend time with, a startling and welcome change and contrast to the painfully long breakfasts and suppers that were spent under her mother's constant eye. Her only escape came when she was permitted to join 'Lady Jadina' on her daily rounds of the Keep and its grounds; and the Damia Reina so disapproved of that amusement that those moments were few and far between. Even if she discounted and disagreed with Damiar Roleran's assessment of the weather, she was glad for company that was neither her mother nor Nynie and Sephrine. The latter simply drove her to insanity by not allowing her the breathing space she so badly craved, and the former simply never stopped reminding her of how easily she could fall into her mother, and her sovereign's, disapproval.

Although, she was never free of her ladies-in-waiting completely, even now, they followed along behind Ami and her grandmother, falling into step with her grandmother's own attendants and ready to run and scurry to Ami's aid whenever she might need it. 

"I think that the weather is rather cool, Grandmother," Ami responded when she realized the old woman awaited a response of some sort. "I wear my cloak about constantly, even indoors."

The squeeze on her hand was accompanied by a chuckle. "And that is precisely what I mean, Amideira. You too are possessed with too much idle time and boredom enough to allow you to find something to complain about. Granted the sun does not shine here as brightly, but also the ground does not bake beneath our feet, now does it?"

"No," Ami admitted, "it does not."

"A matter of perspective, sweet child. You can find all of the bad in a situation, or you may root out the good of it. It all depends on how you wish to spend your days. Myself, I am far too old to waste the few good years I have remaining trying to find the words to describe all the things that are wrong with any given situation. I prefer to simply find whatever pleasure I can in what the gods set before me. 

"Eris wished this land cool and green, while he wished Albarasque warm and gold, and I think that we can find it in ourselves to appreciate both, don't you?"

"I do appreciate it," Ami took a moment to look around the garden, again admiring the rainbow of flowers, both wild and cultivated, that gave the place a serene and tranquil beauty, "I've already commented on how pretty the land is. I just think that it is . . . cool."

"And so, the gods provide us with the materials and the means to create cloaks and heavy dresses," Damiar Roleran replied instantly, "as well as confining shoes of hard leather that do not allow the feet to touch the bare ground."

"But," her grandmother came to a halt, turning and touching her fingers to Ami's cheek through the thick layers of the shoufa, "I do think that whatever the weather, or the situation, my Amideira will adapt. She only needs to remember how to see the light in addition to the shadows."

Ami shifted uncomfortably, catching the hidden and unspoken meaning in the old woman's words. They were not speaking of her adapting to the weather, but rather, they spoke of her adapting to a new life her in Stiborn, the life as the wife of the High Prince -- Adam! -- and heir to the Lion Throne. Amideira had been reared and raised for this, but for Ami it was all new and uncharted territory. She was simply infinitely grateful once again to whatever power of fate had allowed her to have her friends close by; whatever power had chosen Adam as her future groom - a fact of which she had initially considered an odd joke. However, as the day of the wedding drew nearer, she grew more relieved that it was Adam. Adam was her friend, he was her rock and if Megabyte and Jade could muddle through as man and wife, she and Adam certainly should be able to pull it off. Ever since her impromptu visit to the High Prince, she felt more confident in that and was a bit more accepting of her fate.

Yet even finding comfort in the knowledge that it was Adam and not some strange man whom would be put off by his foreign bride, it still was a bit to settle her mind around. She was barely nineteen, and even though by this world's standards that meant she was fast encroaching on old maid territory, by earth standards she was still in her prime. On earth, she would be enjoying her youth, she would be taking her time to learn about herself and figure out what she wanted out of life and a husband. But, this was not earth; here, her path had been chosen and she was left simply with learning how to walk it gracefully.

"I know that, Grandmother."

"Yes, sweet child, you know it," Damiar Roleran peered at her closely, and Ami was hit with the feeling that the woman's dark eyes were piercing the shoufa and staring right into Ami, "but do you accept it?

"It is never easy being a bride. Harder for you, I think, than for your mother or even I." The words were stated with a thoughtful pause, the old woman looking away as she said them. She absently patted Ami's hand where it still rested in the crook of her arm, "Always, you have been so outspoken and yet you remain mostly silent in this. Come, Amideira, speak clearly. What are your feelings on this?"

Her feelings were that she wanted to go home. She didn't want to be the Damiar Princess Amideira any longer. Unfortunately, those were not the feelings that she could share with her grandmother. 

Ami swallowed and spoke softly, "I accept it. It's my duty."

"Oh, yes, your duty. You are saying what you think I want to hear, child," Damiar Roleran made a note of disgust and pulled Ami to a halt again. She turned and settled onto the stone bench she had stopped in front of, her movements far more precise and stronger than one would have expected for a woman of her years, and patted the space beside her. "Do not preach back at me what has been preached to you. Tell me your thoughts, Ami. Your feelings."

"Do they matter? I have to do this no matter what. I can't change my mind or back out or go back to Albarasque --"

"Do they matter?" Damiar Roleran snorted, "Of course your feelings matter. Just because you have to do something doesn't mean that you don't have feelings about it. I *have* to have my ankles rubbed with lysis oil every morning because I am a feeble old woman. Do I accept this? Yes. Do I have feelings about it? Most certainly. And mostly I feel that it is a cruel joke that inside I am still as young as you are, while outside I am shriveling up like old fruit.

"I know that it has been imparted to you time and time again, the importance of this. And in your need to please everyone, you simply stand back and accept it." Her grandmother took both of her hands, "But know this, Amideira, I did not suggest this to the Circle or the Temple without a great deal of forethought. I know that you have everything that you need within you to make this work. You are smart, you are brave. And, nearly as pretty as I was at your age."

Ami laughed softly, sharing in the old woman's humor, and her smile remained when the lady began to speak again, "You were born for this, never doubt that. You will adapt and you will be strong, and you make a fine Queen to reign over two kingdoms some day, not a task to be undertaken lightly.

"But, for all that, my dear, you are a still a child. And you spent far longer in that cloister than I thought was appropriate. Very soon, you will join hands and kingdoms, if not hearts, with the man whom is to be your husband for the remainder of your days. A man that you don't know, who has no doubt been raised in his own right to be as stubborn and unyielding as you are. And, it is all right to be afraid. It is also all right to admit you have that fear. It does not make you any less of a princess, it just makes you human."

"I am afraid, Grandmother. I don't know why."

"It is unknown. It is human nature to fear the unknown. I will admit freely that my knees were like water and I could keep no food down the day of my wedding to your grandfather. Of course, to this day I am not certain if I more feared the wedding or the wedding night. Or the embarrassment of the wedding night." Ami's hands were given a gentle squeeze, "But, do not fret, you will have no such embarrassment. 

"On my wedding night, my parents, and his, waited outside of the bridal chamber door. And when it was deemed that enough time had passed, they knocked three times. Three times only mind you, not nearly enough warning to modestly cover ourselves. They marched right in, and before my very horrified eyes proceeded to strip the bed and check the sheets, and your grandfather was only a noble, not the heir to a throne of his own."

"Sheets?" Ami frowned, not meaning to interrupt the old woman's story, but wondering what point she was trying to make. Damiar Roleran, while at times spoke cryptically, every word she said and every story she told had a meaning. Ami, unfortunately was at a loss to find the meaning behind this one.

The old woman peered quizzically at her, and patted her hands again, evidently not understanding the question. "This is one time when I have intervened to make certain that your wedding night goes smoothly. Things will be awkward enough, I think, without having your mother and His and Her Majesty entering the bridal chamber. No, that duty has been delegated to Nynie damiar and Halista, as the representative of House Loriag. They will be professional and discreet and buffer you from as much embarrassment as possible."

"Grandmother, I don't -- I don't understand." But she did. In the very far back corner of her mind, understanding was dawning. Understanding of things that she had heard about or read, or been taught in history classes. Understanding that she did not wish to have was very clearly, and very quickly beginning to settle into the fog in her brain and give clarity to Damiar Roleran's words.

"You don't under --" The Damiar paused and looked pointedly in the direction of Nynie and Sephrine, "Whatever have you been up to Nynie? I've never known you to be so lax in your instruction."

"Damiar," Nynie brought her hands together at her chest and bowed respectfully, "you know how temperamental and unpredictable Her Highness can be. I felt that the wedding day would be a suitable time to ... instruct ... her. Her mother did not know on her wedding night --"

"A mistake on my part, and one I am trying to remedy." She flicked her wrist in dismissal and tightened her grip on Ami's hands. "The sooner you understand this, the better for all of us involved."

"Understand what?" Ami heard the panic in her voice. She fought against the urge to jerk away from her grandmother and to run -- and swim -- all the way back to Albarasque if she had to. This could not be happening; she couldn't listen to this. She didn't *want* to listen to this. She was just beginning to accept, just beginning to cope ... this was too surreal to be real.

"This marriage is a contract, Amideira. It is the basis of a treaty that will end years of war and bloodshed between two countries. It has been years in the making, and it is important that this contract is one that is sealed, proven sealed so that we, and our people, may enjoy a new era of peace and prosperity."

"I know that! That's the whole point, I understand that and ... we've been talking about this. I accept it. I'm scared, but I accept it . . . I . . . "

"Amideira," the word was spoken so softly that she almost had to strain to hear it. And it was by virtue of its softness that it held command, that it stopped her raving and drew her attention. "Amideira, the marriage must consummated."

The words fell like ice water over her head and upon her shoulders. As long as they had remained unspoken, as long as they remained unsaid, she could pretend, within her mind that she didn't know what the woman was talking about. Before her grandmother said those words, Ami could have kept fooling herself, pretending that the talk about sheets and embarrassment meant nothing to her.

But they had been spoken, and there they were, laid out before her like . . . like yet another trap of duty and expectation that she could not escape.

She could not do this. She *would* not do this.

Even as Ami thought the words, they felt false to her. Like every other inevitability in this world, she knew that unless another odd portal opened up and dumped her back on the beach, this would be something she could not escape.

Ami didn't realize that she was shivering until she felt her grandmother pull her close, drawing her head down to her shoulder. The woman whispered soft words that fell upon deaf ears, "It's not that terrible, Ami dear. You'll see. It isn't that bad at all."

Ami said nothing, simply lay there, pretending to accept Damiar Roleran's comfort.

The woman had no idea how bad it truly was.

*** End of Chapter Twenty-Six  



	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Worlds Away - Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Your steeds are small."

Adam's hand twitched as he once again resisted the urge to provide a formal introduction of his fist to the face of the young man -- correction, young boy -- walking beside him. He had never been prone to violence or fits of temper, but somehow His Highness, Prince Calend'et brought out the very primal and the very base.

This had been the way of it his entire afternoon. Their steeds were small. The corridors of the Lion Palace were cold and dull. The wine was bitter. The plumfruit was overly sweet. The milk was thin and weak and lacking in cream. On and on, over and again, complaint after complaint as though the boy had some driving need to demonstrate all the valid reasons to dislike Stiborn and Stibornan culture, and to show how very much he disliked it.

The purpose of this excursion was to encourage harmony and peaceable relations between the two kingdoms. In the absence of the Prince-Regent, Amideira's father, and with her mother and grandmother attending to all tradition and associating as little as possible with the men of Stiborn, this royal duty fell onto the shoulders Prince Calend'et. Of course, Adam was hard pressed to see how it could possibly encourage harmony, when all he wanted to do was punch Calend'et, or barring that, see that he was taken across someone's knee.

Royal etiquette demanded that in the interest of both kingdoms, he curb such violent, useless impulses. That didn't mean however, he wasn't allowed to give back as good as he was given.

"Yes, Your Highness, our steeds are small. We here in Stiborn do not feel the overwhelming need to use size as a demonstration of importance or potency," Adam remarked blandly. 

It was petty, yes. It belittled him and the importance of his position as heir to the Lion Throne, but Adam thought that it was well worth it, royal etiquette be damned, when he saw the uncertain, then outraged expression on the young prince's face. Gotcha, he thought triumphantly, even as the younger boy struggled to reassert his regal mask and bearing. Watching him, Adam flinched and took an involuntary step backwards. For a few moments, while the mask was gone, he had seen and felt something raw, acrid and bitter. The emotions had names - arrogance, rage, hatred, and they matched the fire that flashed, albeit briefly in those dark eyes of Calend'et's. 

And this little imp was Ami's brother. He thanked fate that his counterpart's one sibling hid nothing beyond sweetness and brightness behind her eyes and smile. He wasn't sure he could take a monster of his own like this one. Of course, Ami had it doubly bad, she had to suffer through both this spoiled brat of a prince-ling and the overbearing shrew of a mother...soon to be Adam's own overbearing shrew of a mother in law. He would really have to ask her how she managed to put up with so much for so long.

"Besides," Adam continued as though his other words had implied no insult, as if he had not been taking pleasure in the prince's ire, "Smaller steeds are faster and more maneuverable. We believe that speed and defensibility are of great import, particularly on the battlefield. Of course, handling our breeds requires great skill in horsemanship, we can't simply wait for them to stomp through whatever is in the way.

"However, if the beasts are too small for you and you have no interest in riding --" Adam trailed off, making an absent motion towards the stables, his eyes meeting those of Hagen just beyond the prince's shoulder. His cousin was, of course, smirking and not doing anything at all to hide it. With a roll of his eyes, he looked away from Hagen, lest he burst into laughter as well.

"You might be surprised to find out how adept my people are as horsemen." Calend'et paused a moment, his lips curling into a smile that gave Adam a chill as he added, "And horsewomen, of course."

"Am I to presume that your sister has a fondness then for riding?" 

"It's a skill she has . . .," again came the pause in speech, the curling of the lip that made Adam's blood curdle, the next word delivered coolly, "perfected."

Adam had taken fully one step forward towards the prince before he caught himself and forced himself to hold his ground. He reminded himself that Calend'et didn't know Ami; that his only half-veiled insult had not truly been directed at Ami, but rather at the woman he believed to be his sister. Not that that provided justification, and still Adam felt that he should defend the woman's honor on general principle, but he knew how foolish that would be. He had no reason to rise to Calend'et's bait, beyond his affection for Ami and he couldn't very well began fiercely defending a woman that he was not supposed to know.

Adam smiled, doing his best to reign in his contempt. "I wasn't aware that they focused so intensely on horseman skill at the Temple of Damiaren. I was given to believe that your sister spent a great deal of her life there. In the cloister, I thought it was."

Again, the subtle flinch, the tightening of the jaw that told Adam that the prince heard both the words that Adam spoke, and the ones he left unspoken. "Yes, but you should be warned that my sister is not . . . the tame sort, Your Highness." The title was spoken airily, with an edge that told Adam precisely how much Calend'et did not enjoy calling Adam by that title. "She is stubborn and unruly, all hidden behind a smile and a veil of innocence."

"Yes, well, there are some who prefer confidence and back-bone in their mates." Adam nodded to the groom in acknowledgement of the readiness of his horse and affectionately patted the stallion on the neck. "I would go as far as to say that those traits would be most coveted in a woman that will someday be Damiar Reina."

Calend'et's eyes narrowed to slits. He rudely took the reins of the horse selected for him, dismissing the groom as though the man were no more than a bug beneath his shoe. "Do not speak so quickly. That title is not my sister's yet. There are conventions that you can not begin to understand, but suffice to say that this treaty does not pave your way to the Sun Throne."

"Nor," Adam swung himself into the saddle, "does it pave yours."

The scowl turned into a glare and Adam was grateful that looks could not kill. Prince Calend'et was young, but he was neither stupid nor naïve. He knew very well what this treaty, and all its trappings meant. Adam knew, from the undisguised hatred and disgust that he felt emanating from the other, that for all his youth, Calend'et knew that there was only one thing that stood in the way of his progeny assuming the Sun Throne, and that he was face-to-face with that threat. 

There were but two requirements for ascendancy to the Sun Throne. One, was that the crown heir be female, and the second, was that the crown heir be accepted by the Temple of Damiaren as a potential damia or damiar someday. By fault of birth, Amideira had achieved both without trying, however, she would not be named as the true crown heir until such day as she provided a daughter approved by the Temple. On the day that happened, the two kingdoms of Stiborn and Albarasque would truly be linked, would truly be sister kingdoms united through blood and magic with the blessings of both the Temple of Damiaren and the Temple of Zolnar behind them. 

Adam was the personification of all that could destroy Calend'et's aspirations. Although the young prince would never reign over Albarasque on his own merits, he could reign as regent if he produced an heir until that heir was of age to ascend to the throne. The very inevitability of the marriage between the High Prince Adam Aldaric and the Damiar Princess Amideira was a hurdle that stood in Calend'et's way, because, in his mind, and every other mind as well, theirs was a union that should and very possibly would, produce that daughter-heiress for the Sun Throne. 

Climbing into the saddle, Calend'et's glare faded as quickly as it had appeared, his face a mask of youthful innocence again. How quickly the boy changed tempers and moods sent a chill along Adam's spine that had noting to do with the cool breezes blowing. "You misunderstand me. I have no aspirations towards the Sun Throne. I only wished to remind you that this treaty is only that - a treaty. You can no more rule my lands than my mother could yours.

"Although you could probably do that more easily that rule my beloved sister."

Beloved? Adam truly doubted that words. If he had gleaned nothing else from his forced association with the young prince, it was that the young man bore no love for his sister. He would just as soon see her married off in a foreign land, out of sight, and no doubt he hoped, out of mind. But, it would seem that for one who wanted the competition removed, trying to convince her future husband that she was less than a lady was hardly the means of assuring she was out of the way.

Unless, of course, his dislike ran so deeply that he could not see the lack of logic in his actions and behaviors.

"I have no desire to *rule* your sister, Your Highness. She will be my equal, not my servant."

"Then you northerners are more foolish than I thought," Calend'et guided his horse forward with a snort, "If my mother could not press Amideira under her thumb, surely you will break yours trying. But, it is grandmother's desperation that brings about all of this. It's sad that for you we could do no better."

The insult was not implied or even thinly veiled. Adam felt his ire rise at the nerve of the boy. Insulting his sister was a matter that annoyed Adam; the fact that he stated forthright that he felt the people of Stiborn were beneath him, and deserved no less than an unruly, badly trained princess as the bride of their High Prince . . .

Only Hagen's horse sweeping into the path of his own, prevented Adam from riding forward and yanking Calend'et out of his saddle, treaty be damned.

"We're wasting valuable daylight, gentlemen," Hagen announced from the back of his horse. Calend'et paused and eyed the other man with open distaste, as though he were daring him to take up a challenge. "If we are going to ride, we should do it while there is still good light."

Hagen's eyes met Adam's in a silent entreaty for the man to bite his tongue and not rise to Calend'et's carefully planted bait.

"Give me a reason," Adam hissed, loud enough for Hagen to hear, but not quite loudly enough for the words to fall on the young prince's ears.

"Because, this treaty is too important and we both know it. Let him have his moment," Hagen slowly moved his horse away, still speaking softly. "As much as I would like to see him flat upon his back, the fleeting pleasure is not worth a war."

"It wouldn't come to that."

"Are you so sure? You're not married to the Damiar Princess yet."

***

There were times when Hagen did not understand his cousin. And then, there were times when solely for the sake of argument and good humor, Hagen pretended that he did not understand his cousin. This time was the former and not the latter.

After the distasteful day spent in the companionship of His Highness Prince Calend'et, Hagen had been more than happy to part ways with arrogant and annoying prince. Watching Calend'et's retreating form had provided more pleasure than Hagen would have ever believed it was possible to achieve from visual stimulus alone. The only thing that would have been more enjoyable would have been to watch his cousin knock the upstart from his saddle and teach him proper manners. But, there was a treaty to consider, so he had intervened, although he knew that he would probably regret it for days to come. And Hagen had the distinct impression that Adam was feeling the same.

So, a trip into town and to one of the kinder, gentler taverns had been in order for both of them. Or so, Hagen had declared. Adam, as usual of late, had not been entirely keen on Hagen's choice of distractions, but a few prods and good natured teasing convinced the prince to join him, if only for the sake of shutting Hagen up. Any victory was a victory, and Hagen could live with that reasoning.

Unfortunately, an hour into this excursion, and Hagen and Stewart were the only ones taking advantage of the distraction. Adam sat quietly in the corner seat, the same plate of stew in front of him, now cold, and the same mug of ale within fingers' reach but still virtually untouched. Occasionally, his cousin would raise his head and listen with interest to the bard's music, but then, as if some new thought possessed him, he ceased listening and dropped his attention to scowl at the tabletop. 

Enough was enough. His cousin was so preoccupied with a young prince-ling, who would be nothing of his concern after the wedding, that he failed to notice the dark-haired and buxom tavern wench who made repeated stops at their table. Her attention was solely focused on her prince, although Hagen took great pleasure in the deep curtsies she delivered each time she stopped, but with the current state of mind that Adam was in, he probably wouldn't have noticed if Emerila dropped right into his lap.

"Your Highness, you don't like the stew?" As though his thoughts summoned her, she appeared, tray under one arm, dropping into a curtsy that gave Hagen a bird's eye view of peach colored and freckled flesh. 

Adam smiled, one of those half-distracted smiles that never touched his eyes, but it made Emerila flush prettily nonetheless. "No, it's fine - I'm just not very hungry. You can take it away." He pushed the bowl towards her, much to Hagen's disappointment. He had been hoping that Emerila would have to lean across the table. 

She scooped up the bowl, "Can I get you something else?"

The prince shook his head, already returning his attention to scowl at the nicked wooden tabletop.

Unable to resist, Hagen caught her hand, "What will a smile get me?"

"It will save you from getting hit over the head," Emerila smiled, gently tugging her hand free. "I know you, Lord Hagen, and your handsome smile and pretty words won't turn my head that easily."

"Ah, but there is a chance for me, then?"

"Perhaps. The night is early yet." Emerila merely laughed, and with a playful wink, headed away from their table. "We shall see milord."

"Adam," Hagen forced his eyes away from watching the movement of Emerila's hips, "I don't think you fully appreciate the lengths I am going through for you."

Stewart snorted into his mug, "I don't think anyone can appreciate it as much as you Hagen."

"I appreciate good ale and beautiful women, and there is no shame in that, Stewart." Hagen raised his mug for emphasis, then drank the last of his ale. He leaned towards his cousin, "But you, cousin, are a sad disappointment. I can not believe that you are still allowing the words of that little upstart to crawl beneath your skin."

"He's bitter," Adam looked up suddenly, as though his words were a revelation. "Calend'et is bitter and cold."

"I thought I trained you to be more observant than that," Stewart remarked, "How is it that you've just noticed what I saw immediately? That one has no friends and no love outside of his own."

Adam rolled his eyes and slumped back on his stool. He used the corner as a support, rapping his fingertips on the table. Hagen knew that crease in the brow, knew that the tightness of the lips and the way his cousin gripped at his lion medallion heralded deep thoughts and insights. Deep thoughts and insights that his cousin would share whether Hagen and Stewart wanted to hear them or not. 

"No, I don't mean towards us. I meant in general. He's . . .jealous and dangerous."

"Not to you, he is not," Stewart's mug slammed soundly against the table, there being no way to mistake the growl in his voice. "Treaty or no treaty -"

"I didn't mean me." Adam silenced the older man with a look. He released his death grip on the medallion and leaned forward resting his lower arms on the table. "I meant to Ami-deira." 

The pause, when he said the name of the Damiar Princess was not lengthy, was not even enough to warrant attention, aside from the fact that it was not the first time that Adam had done such. Hagen caught Stewart's eyes, briefly, and knew that the older man had noticed it as well. For not the first time, Hagen wondered if perhaps his cousin hadn't managed to somehow breach etiquette and tradition and made contact with his bride before the wedding. After all, Hagen knew of the gift Adam had sent to the girl while she was at the Temple, and he knew that at least once since her arrival in Stiborn, his cousin had received a sealed letter that he had shared with no one, and by action alone had dared Hagen to inquire about its contents.

It didn't seem possible that Adam had managed to bend a few rules and slip between a few cracks, but Hagen knew his cousin. If it was possible, and he wanted it badly enough, it was not beyond the prince's abilities to do as he pleased. Still, Adam would require close watching, just in case he was doing something that might offend the delicate sensibilities of the Damia Reina.

"She stands in his way," Stewart broke off a piece of bread, "and represents everything that he is not. Yes, he's jealous of her. Just because you and Tara know nothing of sibling rivalry doesn't mean that all families of the world have that luxury. Look at Hagen."

Hagen shook his head at the reference, stopping Emerila with an outstretched arm as she skirted past their table. "Not true, I have no rivalry with my sisters. I simply dislike them intensely. My mug is empty, sweet Emerila, will you do the honors?"

"I will, but only because you ask so sweetly, milord," Emerila's grin seemed rooted in place and she included Stewart and Adam in her sweeping gaze. "Something else for you, my lord Stewart? I see that His Highness has not so much as touched his drink."

"Cold feet," Hagen supplied, grinning broadly when Adam glared at him. "Happens to the best of men, I suppose. But you can bring me his as well."

Stewart tucked a coin inside the front pocket of Emerila's dress, "Bring him a blanket as well. I certainly will not walk him home when his feet can not move in a straight line."

"If I know my Lord Hagen, I do not think finding a place to sleep will give him any difficulty," Emerila swept the empty mugs up in one hand, and turned on her heel, laughing over her shoulder when Hagen planted an all too familiar and playful swat upon her departing rear.

"I don't trust him," Adam picked up the thread of the conversation. 

"Why? Because he made some callous remarks about the virtue of his sister?" Hagen shrugged. "I've said far worse for far less."

"I don't know. It's just this feeling I have."

Hagen groaned. Adam and his damned feelings. They were nothing new, these twinges of gut instinct that his cousin had from time to time in his life. What annoyed Hagen about them was that they couldn't be ignored, because nine times out of ten, Adam's feelings about something proved to be absolutely correct. Still, he couldn't resist his sarcasm, "Why am I not surprised?"

"I hardly think that Prince Calend'et would harm his sister," Stewart stroked his chin, "certainly not when there are so many eyes upon her. Not that I discount your fears, Adam, but perhaps there is the small matter of your nerves as well?"

"My nerves?" Adam asked the question as though he couldn't believe Stewart would even suggest such a thing.

"You are not immune to the stress of the situation. You know the importance of this treaty, and the importance of your duty. And as much as you might pretend otherwise, I know you and I know that you are not as calm as you pretend to be."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Stewart, I'm not imagining things."

"I never said that you were."

"What does it matter?" Hagen spoke up quickly, before his two companions were involved in an argument. "After the wedding, Calend'et will be gone, back in Albarasque. Worries over, problem solved. Well, aside from the fact that if half of what he implied about your bride's virtue was true -"

"It wasn't." The abruptness and curtness of Adam's answer took him by surprise. Normally, Hagen might have pressed the issue, reminding Adam that he didn't know that, that he didn't know anything about the Damiar Princess other than what he had been told, but the hardness in cousin's eyes stopped him from going that route. 

He scratched the back of his neck, looking for a way to change the subject and get away from Adam's accusatory eyes, all the while feeling more and more the certainty that one way or another his cousin had ignored a few traditions and side-stepped a few rules of etiquette.

"Well, you'll find out on your wedding night one way or another," Stewart pointed out. "For the sake of peace, I hope that your objection came from another one of your instincts."

The prince's reaction to Stewart's words was unexpected. His head jerked up, dark eyes studying the older man as though he was both seeing him and hearing the words for the first time. He blinked, once, then again, his jaw dropping slightly as the color faded slightly from his features. 

With a groan, Adam slumped back against the wall, banging his head against it for emphasis. "Gods, my wedding night."

Hagen responded to his cousin's behavior the only way that he could. He laughed, and quite loudly, slapping the table with his palm. "Oh come on, cousin. I know that you are not so inexperienced and naïve that the thought unsettles you that much. I imagine that a princess is not so different from any other woman."

"And I imagine, Hagen," Adam peered at him from beneath slitted eyelids, "that you are a pig."

"Hnn," Stewart grunted, "I know it for a fact."

*** End of Chapter Twenty-Seven  



	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight   
  
[No, no, no, no, no...]   
  
Jade blinked, rising from her seat near the fire, needlework slipping from loose hands. She concentrated, slimming her shielding, testing the tendrils that connected her. Not Adam, or Megabyte and Ami...   
  
"Jadina!" Lady Margot caught her elbow, helping her keep her balance before she fell flat on her face. Jade was dimly aware of being lifted and half-carried, half-dragged back to her chair. She ignored the rise of voices, Lady Margot's calling for a cool cloth, the trilling of her maids' concern and allowed her awareness to dwindle to a thread. Ami's thread and the mind-numbing terror she felt emanating outward, spiking the threads of her telepathic consciousness.   
  
[Ami?] Jade warily reached out for that thread, feeling her way along the waves that threatened to subsume her, past the prickles that set a chill in her bones enough to steal her breath. [Ami, what's happened?]   
  
[Jade.] Ami's awareness turned towards her, effectively flinging itself at her mind, all but burrowing past Jade's mental shielding.   
  
The action, so out of character for Ami, increased Jade's rising alarm and she instinctively pushed the other to a mental arm's length. [Ami, what in the world's happened?]   
  
[I can't do it. I won't do it. There has to be another way. There has to be ....] Ami's voice wavered between hysterics and desperation, the random influx of images that Jade received from her friend adding nothing to the cacophony of emotion that was Ami. [Oh God, Jade, this is all wrong. This is so . . . horrible.]   
  
[Ami?] Adam and Megabyte were touching that tendril that connected them, well-meaning concern echoing back down the link.   
  
Ami flinched, drawing away from their gentle probes and closer to Jade. The younger Tomorrow Person drew in a sharp breath, almost reeling from the worry and... yes, fear. Ami was afraid, of Adam and Megabyte, or at least of one of them.   
  
[I've got her, boys.] Jade made her mental voice brisk, and the force of her words surprised even her. She recalled a comment she made to Ami regarding how much Ami played the role of princess, and almost smiled realizing she could play the role of lady just as well. [I'll take care of her... Just back off and give us some space, okay?]   
  
There was a surprised silence, followed by another one of those tentative brushes, a brush that Jade shoved back, zero tolerance. She didn't know what was going on or why, but she did know that Ami was panicked and that Megabyte or Adam, or both of them, were somehow the cause of it. She wasn't about to allow them to cause her friend more pain just because of good intentions.   
  
[Back off.] Jade gave them another shove, holding her mental barrier until she felt one, then the other, withdraw. With reluctance and no small amount of hurt, the tang of it like a bitter metallic after bite, but they did go.   
  
When she was satisfied that they had done as she asked, she returned her attention to Ami. [Now, Ami, please, tell me what's wrong?]   
  
[I'm to be the virgin sacrifice. Literally,] a sharp bark of bitter laughter accompanied the words, and Jade received the first mental image that she could actually make any sense of. Ami, pacing in her chambers, arms swinging at her sides, hands clenched into fists. Some of the absolute heart-rending fear had dissipated during Jade's chastisement of Adam and Megabyte; it was not gone completely, but now it was underscored by frustration and anxiety so strong that Jade could feel her own adrenaline picking up.   
  
Ami had never been so lax in her shielding, or was it that Jade and the others had never been so sensitive?   
  
[Oh God, Jade, I *can't* do this!]   
  
Jade reached out, hoping that she was sending comfort despite her own confusion. [Can't do what?]   
  
The fear spiked for a moment, but only for a moment, then dampened down again. She could see Ami, flinging herself to the couch in her chambers as though the last of her energy had been zapped from her. [I can't marry Adam. There's just no way. I can't do it.]   
  
That's what this was about? That was the cause of the mind-numbing fear and desperation that Ami was projecting strongly enough to cause them all concern?   
  
Jade snorted, and then recalling that she was not alone, she hid it behind a cough. [I did just fine with Marm, thank you. I think you can handle Adam. It's certainly nothing to get that upset about. I thought that something was wrong, that something had happened to you --]   
  
The flurry of images came at her so rapidly as to be disconcerting. The fear and panic rose along their link again, although Jade could sense that Ami attempted to repress some of it. But the images were chaotic and meaningless, things that Jade could not put words to, and some that she wasn't certain she wanted to.   
  
[Ami, have you had too much wine?]   
  
[No, but it isn't a half bad idea.]   
  
[Ami! Nothing can be that bad, especially not this. I think I would prefer Adam to Marm any day of the week and --] Jade absently accepted the drink that was pushed into her hands, absently raised the cup to her lips, her attention still focused on her Ami.   
  
[Jade, please! You don't understand!] Ami's 'voice' carried the wail of desperation again, and she could tell her friend was barely holding it together. [They want ... they expect ... the whole of two kingdoms . . . by the gods, Jade, they want the marriage consummated!]   
  
At that announcement, Jade discovered that when choking and sputtering on water, it was wholly impossible to continue to be a dignified lady.   
  
***   
  
By the time that Jade was able to escape from the attentions of Lady Margot and her maids and find an excuse to visit Ami in her bedchamber, her fellow Tomorrow Person was much more calm and collected. Evidently, the initial panic attack had subsided, leaving behind an Ami who was more angry than afraid, more frustrated than desperate.   
  
Gone were the familiar trappings of Albarasque and the Temple of Damiaren, the veils and the shawls embroidered with holy symbols. Ami paced the length of her bedchamber, barefoot and clad in nothing more than the simple vestite of Albarasque, a light halter which bared enough skin to make even the most bold of Stibornan women blush, and loose fitting pants that landed just precisely on the hips and cuffed a good, immodest height above the calf. The very fact that Jade had reacted with embarrassment to Ami's outfit when she first saw how the other girl without the shoufa or kitara, told her precisely how much she was becoming acclimated to this world.   
  
"This is so sodding ridiculous," Ami grumbled, her words an unending tirade that she delivered to Jade's ears as she paced the length of the room, the charmed bracelets on her ankles chiming furiously with every well planted step.   
  
Jade rolled her eyes, watching her friend make umpteenth circuit. She silently bemoaned her friend's rough treatment of the rugs and was happy that Ami at least chose to have her tirade barefoot. Lady Margot was going to be appalled when she saw all the threads the Albaresquan princess had kicked up in her frustration. She would have been even more appalled had she heard the language Jadina's delicate ears were being exposed to. But, then again, Jade imagined that Ami would have had her mouth cleansed thoroughly, or been forced to down some horrible tasting concoction if Nynie heard the words that the Damiar Princess said.   
  
"This is so not even funny. This is --"   
  
"Historically accurate?" Jade offered from her spot on the sofa, interrupting Ami's ongoing litany of cliched and descriptive phrases.   
  
The words brought Ami to a halt, the other girl's head swinging to level a glare at Jade. "It's *not* fair. How can they even ask someone to do this?"   
  
"Ami, they're not asking *someone* to do this," Jade pointed out, feeling the very edges of her nerves begin to fray. This was far more than she was prepared to deal with, far more than she *wanted* to deal with. As if it wasn't bad enough that she was here, married to Megabyte, playing Lady of the Keep and trying her hardest to keep Lady Margot -- and most especially the Damia Reina and Damiar Roleran -- happy. Pacifying Ami was the last thing on her mind. Not that she didn't feel for her friend, she truly did. She didn't know what she would have done in Ami's position -- probably been just as upset and frustrated -- but her patience and empathy were wearing thin. "They're not asking at all. They're expecting the Damiar Princess Amideira to do this because she's supposed to. For the sake of her country and the sake of this treaty."   
  
"To Hermion's fires with the treaty."   
  
Jade blinked, more taken aback by that curse than any other Ami had uttered. That was a curse Jade had only heard in passing, a reference to the god of death and destruction, and it showed her that she wasn't the only acclimating ... no matter what Ami might have protested otherwise.   
  
"You don't mean that."   
  
Ami looked at her again, as though preparing to argue the point, but she did not. Instead, she exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping somewhat. "No, I don't mean it." Her friend sank to the sofa, idly tracing patterns in the material of her pants, "I don't want to start a war, Jade, but I don't know how I'm supposed to do this. And don't dare give me that drivel about how it's Princess Amideira. She's not here, and I am, and we both know that."   
  
"You could always lie back and just think of Albarasque," Jade suggested glibly.   
  
"I see spending so much time around *my mother* has given you her sadistic sense of humor," Ami replied frostily.   
  
Jade flinched, liking neither her friend's tone nor the ice cold in her eyes. "And you used to have a sense of humor."   
  
.Ami shook her head, beaded braids rattling as she made a sound that hovered between a laugh and a sob. She pulled her legs up onto the sofa, hugging them to her chest. "Now I'm turning against my nearest and dearest. Do you see what this is doing to me?"   
  
"Have you even thought about ... well, talking to Adam?"   
  
Ami laughed loudly and bitterly. "Oh yes, I was thinking about popping over and joining him for tea just so that we can compare notes."   
  
Jade rolled her eyes. "Ami..."   
  
"And just what do you expect me to say to him, Jade? Oh, sorry I can't handle being married to you? Or the thought of having intimate relations with you -- "   
  
Jade choked a bit, the very thought of Adam coupled with Ami's chosen words making a blush start viciously up her neck.   
  
"--makes me feel sick to my stomach. Oh, yes, Jade, I'm sure he'll understand that. And I'm sure his father and mother will too, not to mention my mother and grandmother--"   
  
"All right," Jade held up a hand to stop what was clearly going to become another tirade. "I get the picture. So talking to Adam is out for now. And so is running away. So what are you going to do?"   
  
Ami leaned back with a sigh. "I don't know. I've tried talking to Grandmother and Nynie, tried talking them out of this humiliating sheet business. And of course, Nynie got me all excited when she said that she agreed that the sheet business was bad ... right up until the moment that she mentioned a few spells that can be used to ... divine... certain things."   
  
"Spells?" Jade squeaked, not at all liking the sound of a spell that could inform others of things of a more intimate nature.   
  
Ami, however, continued as though she hadn't heard the interjection. And it was quite possible that she hadn't. "If it weren't for that, then we could just go on and pretend like we were a normal married couple. But that would be too easy."   
  
"Well, even if there weren't spells," Jade made a mental note to ask Ami for further details on said spells in the future, when her friend was in a mood to be more forthcoming, "I don't think that you would be able to talk anyone out of 'the sheet business.' I mean, from what I know, it's not just a tradition, it's a rite of passage. Every married couple has to go through it. Even Marmion and Jadina."   
  
"Yeah, which you were fortunate enough to miss out on! I mean, could you imagine sleeping with Megabyte?"   
  
If she hadn't been flushed before, she definitely was now. Jade studied her hands, letting her silence and her red face answer Ami.   
  
"I mean -- " Ami was floundering now, sounding completely mortified.   
  
"Ami," Jade spoke up quietly. "I hate to sound like a rude and uncaring wench, but it really is just one night. I know you and I know Adam, and I know that you can both deal with this. One night to make sure that the treaty is satisfied and then no one will really care whether you two are sharing a bed or not."   
  
"At least not until King Martine and Queen Carrina want grandchildren. Or until my grandmother starts to wonder why I haven't produced an heir. Then what do I do, Jade?"   
  
Ami seemed so young at that moment, so young and miserable while Jade felt older than she had any right to. Somehow for this one moment their roles had reversed and Jade was thrust into the role of trusted older sister, the role that Ami had always worn with seeming ease. Jade was seeing for the first time just how much patience and expertise it required, two qualities she thought herself severely lacking in. She was just sixteen years old. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to be the married Lady of a Keep or ready to run after crotchety poisonous royals. And she certainly wasn't ready to be looked to as the one who supplied all the answers.   
  
All these thoughts and feelings crossed her mind but she voiced none of them. Instead she reached out and covered Ami's hand with her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Ami. Like we always have. Together."   
  
***End of Chapter Twenty-Eight


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Worlds Away

By Michele Mason Bumbarger

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The halls of Elspera Keep were eerie at night. Megabyte walked quickly, despite his tiredness, his eyes darting anxiously in all directions. He knew, logically, that nothing would dive out of the long shadows and reach for him, knew that this was not a game of Dungeons & Dragons ™ -- although it would certainly make things a hell of a lot easier if it had been -- where monsters lurked and conspiracy waited in every dark nook, but he was cursed with an overactive imagination. And said overactive imagination liked to kick in at times like this.

Tugging the fastenings of his jerkin a loose, he quickened his pace to keep as close to Legan as possible. His valet walked with confidence, as though the thought had never occurred to him that there might be a bandit lurking just ahead, or a haunted suit of armor behind him. But that was probably because those thoughts really had never occurred to Legan.

They came to a halt outside of the bedchamber, and Legan turned to him, politely for once. "Will my lord be needing anything else tonight?"

Megabyte shook his head, "No."

Legan nodded, "Then I shall see you in the morning."

Megabyte slipped into the bedchamber, and noting the darkness of the room, wondered if Jade had already gone to sleep. More than likely, she had. After all, he was up and about later than normal, and with her busy schedule, Lady Jadina normally turned in early. Of course, after dealing with that shrew of a ruler, the Damia Reina, all day, Megabyte imagined that if he had found himself in Jade's position, he would have taken refuge in sleep as often and as early as possible too.

He sat on the sofa and removed his boots, casting occasionally glances towards the sleeping chamber. Before he settled down on the sofa, he knew that he would end up in there, standing over the bed and checking on Jade before he finally settled down for the night. It was silly, really; a silly habit that he had gotten into during the time that he'd been forced to share his bedchamber with her. A silly habit that he knew he would receive no end of teasing from Adam about if the elder Tomorrow Person got wind of the behavior.

A silly habit, but one Megabyte did not even try to break.

Shoes off, he wiggled his toes in their new found freedom and scooped up the nearest oil lamp. A few moments of his time, and then he would allow himself the luxury of sleep as well.

"I want to go home."

Jade's voice, carrying from the far darkened corner of the sitting room startled him. Megabyte gave a yelp, nearly dropping the oil lamp. He spun to face her, ready to light into her about scaring the living daylights out of people carrying combustible materials, but the scathing words died on his lips as he took in the sight of her.

Seated in one of the high-backed ornately carved arm chairs, Jade looked very lost and very, very small. She was buried beneath the layers of her nightdress and robe, her arms wrapped around the knees that she hugged to her chest. Blonde hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders and she rocked slowly back and forth, her attention focused on some tiny spot on the floor.

"Jade?" His voice colored with concern. Depositing the oil lamp on the table, he crossed over to her, tentatively reaching out to touch her hand. As he did so, he kicked something, noting peripherally that it was her hairbrush, either dropped or placed on the floor by the chair. "Jade, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

She shook her head and heaved a sigh. "I'm just tired, Marm. I want to go home. To earth. I'm tired of trying to please Lady Margot, or the Damia Reina, or Damiar Roleran. I'm tired of being Lady Jadina. I want to go home and I just want to be Jade."

He knelt down beside her, really looking at her for the first time since Ami had arrived. There were dark circles bruising the delicate skin under her eyes, eyes that were more bloodshot with fatigue than blue. Her body was trembling from head to toe. From nerves and not any stray wind, he realized. Her sunny smiles had wilted, the corners of her mouth drooping. For one split second, Megabyte thought of Jadina, and wondered if she had moments like this. If he -- no, if Marmion -- was the cause of those moments where she was concerned.

He should have checked on her sooner, should have paid better attention, he berated himself. But Jade had seemed to be handling things so well, better than any of them really. She seemed to take it all in stride, and it never occurred to him that she might be a better actress than they gave her credit for. It was the search for and resurfacing of Ami and the politics of two nations that were binding their two best friends together more neatly than their shared powers that had taken over his mind. . .not just his, but just about ever single mind in the Keep, the Palace and the kingdom. When Lady Margot had pressed Jadina into service waiting on the Damia Reina and the rest of Ami's entourage . . .Well, to be perfectly honest, Megabyte hadn't even thought to check on her, to see if she needed any help. Oh, no. He'd been too busy playing royalty with Adam or fending off Sarena to inquire as to his wife's well-being.

Wife. The word brought him up short, reminding him once again of how used to this world they were becoming. Part of him feared the acceptance of that word, that acceptance would somehow lead to the inevitability of their stay here becoming permanent.

But on so many levels, acceptance had already crept in. It was hard for him to remember that Adam was not his cousin and prince, but only one of his best friends and the leader of the Tomorrow People. Some mornings, when he joined his father to ride into the village proper or oversee the fields, it took a while for his clouded brain to recall another man he called father, who wore the stars of a General and whose busy schedule kept him away from his son.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought aside. Now was not the time to start getting morbid and dour.

Megabyte rose to his feet. Very gently, he nudged Jade's feet to the edge of the chair and then beyond, encouraging her to stand. "Come on, Jade. You need to get some sleep."

"I'm not tired." The protest was clearly made solely for the sake of protesting. She stared at him sulkily, but did not offer any resistance as he guided her to her feet and turned her towards the bedroom door.

"Right, I'll bet that you're not," Megabyte wrapped an arm around her slender waist, his words soft. She leaned into him, her hair tickling his neck and jaw from where her head rested comfortably on his shoulder. She smelled faintly of mint and juniper, and Megabyte idly wondered why he was even noticing such a thing.

"Marm," she murmured, her words nearly indistinct and heavy with the slur of sleep, "Why are you being so good to me?"

Her words gave him pause, the feel of her drowsing against him as he led her to bed stirring strange tendrils of emotion in him. Without thought, or maybe perhaps in spite of it, he nuzzled into her hair, his words muffled by the action, "I guess it's because I like you, Jade. Sometimes."

"Since when?" Jade yawned and stumbled, nearly falling to the floor as her feet somehow tangled in the hem of her bedclothes. Megabyte caught her, both arms sliding around her waist from behind, and held her upright.

Megabyte eased her onto the bed, smiling bemusedly as she caught and steadied herself before she toppled over backwards. "Since always, kid."

"Nice to hear," she yawned. "Thought you couldn't stand me. You always said so."

Megabyte flinched. Yes, there was truth in her words. There had been a time, not too long ago, when he hadn't been able to tolerate Jade's presence without Adam or Ami's steadying influence. She was just a kid, one of those annoying little girls like his sister Millie. Only she wasn't. She could be immature sometimes, certainly. Then again so could he, so he couldn't precisely fault her for that. There was more to her than that. When she wasn't being an annoying little git, Jade was actually a lot of fun. And kind-hearted and sweet as well; perhaps too soft and too sweet for her own good. It was the sort of kindness people like Sarena or the Damia Reina could never understand save for the chance to exploit it.

Just thinking about Sarena made his stomach knot. He was glad Jade was ignorant of the truth behind her maidservant. She would never forgive him if she thought he was playing around with her and there was no way he would be able to convince her otherwise. Not with Legan glaring daggers at the two of them every time Sarena cornered him. Or Sarena's blatant attempts to get him out of Adam's company and into the nearest alcove. Why should she believe him? Before coming here, Megabyte had been perfectly clear in how he felt and thought about Jade and he had made that perfectly clear to her, too.

That was in one world and this was another. They were different people here with different roles to play. Yet in this world as in the other one, Jadina was as alone as her counterpart. Until coming here, he had never really considered out of the loop Jade must have felt sometimes. He and Ami and Adam . . . they'd been together for so long and with Jade . . .

Well, she was the baby of the group, everyone's baby sister, to be played with and then left behind when there was real work or fun to engage in. All she was expected to do was grin, give a bit of cheek and comic relief. And she had played her part admirably. Until now, Megabyte had never thought of it in those terms. Until now, Megabyte had never considered what a lonely place that might be.

But here . . . here she wasn't just Jade Weston; she was Lady Jadina, expected to ensure the smooth running of the Keep under Lady Margot's care. She was Jadina, a daughter of the House of Zentil, who was supposed to handle with equanimity cranky foreign queens and the intricacies of a woman's court, the diplomacy of which Megabyte knew he would never understand. Jadina, who put the servants at ease with her kindness and easy manner while they still stiffened around her uncertain "husband." Jade had not only taken on the role she was required to play in this place, she had immersed herself in it, trying to be an anchor for him. And as usual, he had taken her for granted.

Why hadn't he seen that until now?

"Things change. People change. Come on, you really need to get to sleep," he nudged her aside enough to pull down the quilted covers.

"What things?" Jade laid back on the pillows, stifling another yawn behind the palm of her hand. Blue eyes squinted up at him, struggling to remain open and alert.

"For someone who was practically falling asleep standing up, you sure are talkative tonight." Leaning over her, Megabyte pulled the quilts up over her shoulders.

"What things?" She repeated, not in the least bit deterred by his teasing or his attempt to end the conversation. Jade could be stubborn like that; he was just surprised that stubbornness won out over the need for sleep. "I'm still Jade."

Realizing that Jade probably didn't intend to let this go, and in fact would resist the call of sleep until she had an answer, Megabyte sighed and sank down to the bed besides her reclining form. Possessed of a will of its own, or perhaps a will that Megabyte was blissfully unaware of, his hand snaked out, gently pushing several honey-gold strands away from her cheek. "No, you're not. Not really, not anymore."

Then if I'm not Jade, you're not Marmaduke Damon. Even her telepathic voice was drifting, full of marked tiredness.

The name, his name, his hated name since birth, sounded almost foreign to him, and even stranger coming from Jade. He may have been Marmaduke Damon, but he was not the same person that he had been before coming here. This world, and everything he encountered and experienced here changed all that. Even when … and he still did cling to the idea of seeing home again someday . . . when they got back to earth, he would never be that person again.

He continued to stroke her hair, "Maybe I'm not."

She never heard him. Megabyte could tell from the way she stilled beneath his hand, her breathing becoming slow and regular that she drifted off to sleep. He smiled, and then leaned forward and pressed his lips to her temple. "Good night, Lady Jadina."

End of Chapter Twenty-Nine


	30. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty   
  
It was time to leave.   
  
Wiggling from beneath the muscular arm, which was slung possessively around her waist, Sarena slipped out of the narrow bed. She took a deep breath, shuddering slightly as her bare skin made contact with the cool air of the cabin. The fire in the hearth had long since burned itself out, and she had no intentions of rekindling it. Rekindling it would only disturb him, waking him from the depths of sleep, and when he was awake, he made it so much harder for her to leave. When he was awake, he always pleaded and cajoled, his voice soft, whispering words that she longed to hear, if only they didn't fall from his lips.   
  
Finding her clothing in the darkness of the cabin was not a problem. Once it had been, before she grew wiser and more cautious, before she began to take control of their clandestine nocturnal meetings. Now, she always removed the garments herself, placing them on the table or the chair, her shoes neatly close by so that dressing -- and leaving -- was not an obstacle.   
  
Fully dressed, Sarena dropped, quietly, into the chair before the hearth and dusted the dirt and straw from her feet. This was one of those little things that she despised about being here, about this place. The floors were not stone and tile, not covered over with elaborate rugs, but still no more than dirt and straw which made her feet itch and kept her shoes dirty. She would have to spend time before going to her own bed to wash away the grime, to not carry the stain of this place into her quarters.   
  
"Would it kill you to stay just one night?" His voice, soft and accusatory, carried across the hut, startling her.   
  
So, he was awake. He was not the master of subtlety, or pretense and Sarena was a bit piqued that he had, for once, fooled her. That now, she would have to sit and listen to his pathetic pleas.   
  
"Yes, it would, Kelv." Properly shoed, Sarena began to replace the pins in her hair. "You know I have to be there to attend to my lady when she wakes in the --"   
  
"How stupid do you think I am?"   
  
Sarena paused, one pin pinched between her teeth, her hands tangled in her hair, and debated whether or not to answer that question. Stupid? Perhaps not, but it was not stupidity that she was looking for. Had Kelv been stupid, she would never have found her way into the stable boy's bed. He was young, yes, barely sixteen, and naïve, but he was not stupid. The nephew, cousin, or some other some such to Legan, when he was not needed in the stables, he was put to work in the Keep, learning the proper ways to attend to a lord. Still young enough to be unable to appreciate the education that Legan was providing him with, but easily enough swayed by feminine wiles to be her source for keeping tabs on Lord Marmion.   
  
"I don't think you're stupid, Kelv."   
  
"That's not the word of it around," Kelv muttered. "I'm being branded an idiot for keeping company with you."   
  
She pushed the pin in, securing several long winding strands of loose hair. "If you are listening to gossip, then maybe you are stupid."   
  
"Or maybe we both are."   
  
Flinching, she poked herself in the fingers with another pin. She cursed softly in the darkness. What was his problem? Kelv never behaved like this. Yes, he sulked and whined pathetically, but he did not insult her. "What has gotten into you?"   
  
"Nothing." Sarena knew from the shuffling movements that he was getting out of bed, probably hunting around for a candle to light. "I just don't understand why you keep doing this."   
  
"Doing what? Returning to my own bed as is proper?"   
  
"You don't care about proper." The swish-flick of tinder being lit sounded in the room and in a moment, a candle danced in front of Kelv's face. He held it in front of him, striding boldly towards the table where she sat, apparently unaffected by the temperature of the hut. "You just care that *he* might find out what you're doing."   
  
"You're talking nonsense."   
  
"I'm talking nonsense?" Kelv sat the candle on the table, kneeling before her in the dirt and straw. He rested his hands on her knees, holding her facing him although she attempted to turn away. "Sarena, I'm not stupid. I know that you run out of here every night because you hope that Lord Marmion will come looking for you. Well, he's not."   
  
"You don't know --"   
  
"I do know! Everyone knows! It's no secret that he tossed you out of his bed. That he hasn't paid any more attention to you than Selly, the cook, since he came back from the northern provinces with Lady Jadina. He's done with you, Sarena. Let it go. Let it go and be someone who actually cares about you -- "   
  
"Someone like you?" Sarena shoved the boy away from her. She didn't need this. Not from him, not tonight, but most especially not from him. She'd chosen Kelv because of his ability to get close to Marmion, she had chosen him because he was still young enough to keep his mouth closed except when she asked him to speak. And she had chosen him because he was a pretty boy, with piercing blue eyes and silky dark hair that always seemed to be unruly. He could charm her when he wanted to, when she allowed it; but she was not going to allow that now.   
  
"Everyone talks about you, Rena. When you're not around to hear the words. They say that you're blind and you're stupid. That you're simply waiting for the unavoidable to happen, for him to finally get fed up and send you away."   
  
"He won't. He can't. Jadina won't let him."   
  
"Like she would care if she found out what you've been doing? She's moved into his bedroom, she's probably sharing more than his bed --"   
  
"Shut up, Kelv!" Grabbing her cloak, she wrapped it around herself, wondering when the temperature of the room had dropped a few degrees.   
  
She didn't want to hear these words, the taunting little words that repeated themselves in her head every night. Jadina was barely fifteen when she was married to Marmion, really no more than a child. Not as shrewish and manipulative as her sisters, but certainly prettier than them. Two years her senior, Sarena saw opportunity when it presented itself. Lord Marmion was not interested in his child-wife, no matter how pretty she was, or how much she charmed his parents. Marmion had no interest in Jadina, but Sarena was another matter entirely . . . she had first climbed into his bed two days after the marriage was consummated.   
  
And she had never left, until that trip to the northern provinces. The one in which Lady Margot made it clear that Sarena would not be accompanying her lady Jadina, that everything would be provided for the family when they arrived north. Two and half months was all it had taken for Jadina to turn Marmion's head; two and half months was all it had taken for the little bitch to do the unexpected.   
  
Sarena had never expected it. From day one she convinced Jadina that Marmion was not worth her time, her interest, or her effort. She taught the girl of the things to do to catch and keep a man's interest, hoping that someday the seeds of fancy would plant themselves and that foolish Jadina would dare to use those tricks by bringing another man into her bed. She had never thought the girl would use them on her husband.   
  
"I don't need this from you. She is not . . . Jadina is just a simple, spoiled child. She can never, and will never be anything more than a pretty trinket for his arm. No matter what his feeling right now, I know Marmion, and he will grow bored of her."   
  
"Like he grew bored of you?"   
  
The sound of flesh meeting flesh resounded in the room as the flat of her palm made contact with his cheek. "Damn you to Hermion's fire, Kelv!"   
  
She nearly pulled the door from its hinges as she yanked it open. She had enough of him, for tonight, maybe for always. Tightening her cloak around her, she stepped into the night air, yelping in surprise as Kelv grabbed her and yanked her around so hard that she felt the joint crack. "Let go of me!"   
  
"If you won't listen to reason about Marmion, then at least listen to this - be careful of the company you keep."   
  
"Like you?"   
  
Kelv laughed and shook his head. "Zolnar's sword, you are so stubborn, woman! Will you please --"   
  
"Good night, Kelv, I've heard enough." Jerking her arm free, Sarena stepped away from the hut, into the full moonlight, daring him to follow her in his undressed state. Hood of her cloak pulled over head, she began the trek back towards the Keep.   
  
Halfway there, she stopped, peering anxiously into the shadows which cloaked the night. She could have sworn that she heard someone following behind her, but when she looked, all was as it should have been. The night around her was still and devoid of any life save her and the sounds of animals in the distance. Still, Sarena quickened her pace, the prickling feeling of a million eyes on her never leaving.   
  
There was a back entrance to the Keep, it led off of the servants quarters and into the stables, and that was the door that Sarena aimed for. She reached for the lamp that she left beside the door, gasping and stumbling backwards so quickly that she landed on her rear as another hand swooped down and claimed it before she could.   
  
"It's a bit late to be wandering around at night, isn't it?"   
  
Sarena remained on the ground, her heart pounding deep within her breast as the speaker turned to her, lighting the lantern as he did so. The light reflected onto the familiar face of His Royal Highness of Albarasque, Prince Calend'et.   
  
"Yes, it is. Your Highness." The last was added as an afterthought, and left a bitter taste in her mouth. It seemed that the entire kingdom was going out of their minds for this wedding, the union of High Prince Adam to the Damiar Princess of Albarasque, but very few seemed to understand what it really meant, how something such as this was the first step towards allowing Albarasque and all their damned priests and mages to overwhelm the power and pride of Stiborn.   
  
The Damiar Princess, for all the strange foreignness she and her entourage brought to the Keep, was at least quiet and manageable. Although she did not understand what Jadina saw in keeping company with the alien princess, she could only hope that Prince Adam would be able to contain the girl and any attempts she might make to assert the control of the Temple of Damiaren.   
  
Prince Calend'et was another story entirely. For all that he openly professed his dislike of all things Stibornan, he seemed happy enough to accept Stibornan women into his bed. Sometimes, they were there whether they wished it or not. Of course, that sort of thing never reached the deaf ears of Lady Margot and Lord Bial, because who would take the word of a servant girl over a highborn blue blood prince?   
  
He smiled at her, extending his hands. The smile oozed oil and sleaze, and Sarena suppressed a shudder as she accepted the extended hands and the offer up from the ground. The sooner these foreigners left Stiborn, the better off they all would be . . . if it were not too late by then.   
  
"It's a good thing that I happened to be out as well," Calend'et continued, all teeth and smiles, keeping tight hold upon one of her hands, "Wouldn't have wanted any harm to come to you."   
  
Sarena shivered, and not from cold. Recalling the prickles of a million eyes, she stared at him with incredulity. "You were following me, Your Highness?"   
  
"Well, we certainly wouldn't any harm to come to one of your personage, would we?"   
  
As if on cue, the men appeared. They stepped forward, materializing out of the shadows. Clothed entirely in black, even their heads wrapped with black cloth, their faces almost hidden beneath swaths of cloth, Sarena reacted although she meant to suppress any reaction. It was easy to forget the sahkrah, the warrior-priests who guarded the prince. They faded into shadows easily, trained as they were to remain unnoticed as much as possible.   
  
"If I meant any harm to you, Sarena, I would have done it by now," Prince Calend'et tucked her hand into the crook of her arm, leading her away from the Keep. "I only thought you would like to know that we will not be unattended. Besides," he leaned in close, his breath hot against her ear, "you still have the stink of that stable boy on you."   
  
Two things occurred to Sarena at that moment: one, that the Prince knew her name, and two, that he did not profess an interest in her as did other men. Yes, he was young, but she had heard the rumors about him, that when he was being kind and gentle, he made up for his youth in exchange for his skill. Knowing her name filled her with a morbid sense of pride, but his lack of interest, and the ease at which he dismissed her, hit her like a slap in the face.   
  
"Your Highness, where are we going?"   
  
"We are walking. I want to talk to you, and you will want to hear what I have to say."   
  
"I should be getting back --"   
  
"Why? Your lady is asleep, she will not need you until morning. And your stable boy ... well, you left him."   
  
"What do you want with me, Your Highness?"   
  
"You may be a well bred wench, but you are too demanding by far." Prince Calend'et patted her hand where it rested in the crook of his arm, a touch that made her want to jerk away and wash for a week. His words and manner were arrogant, speaking as though she were beneath him when he was the filthy outlander.   
  
Wisdom dictated that she held her tongue. Whatever her thoughts on the matter, he was royalty, and any offense given to him would fall soundly upon her shoulders.   
  
"I know that you have certain ... acquaintances ... that disagree with this so-called marriage and union of our kingdoms." His words crawled down her spine like ice water, Kelv's admonishment of being careful of the company she kept ringing in her head. Sarena nearly stumbled, desperately wishing to be any place but walking besides the prince, but knowing that unless he willed it, she would never make it past the sahkrah.   
  
"I don't know what you mean, Your Highness." The lie fell easily off of her lips, her words calm although she felt anything but calm at the moment. All of those late night gatherings, in dimly lit huts or within the forgotten store rooms of the Keep came back to her. Their numbers were few, but those in charge spoke of greater things and of people in power who would soon step up and speak out against the insanity that had taken hold of King Martine. All she had to do was bide her time, and when the fall-out came, she would not be harmed by it. No one would who knew what side to stand on.   
  
He laughed, not a rich, mirth filled sound, but more a dark twisting sound that made the night air feel even cooler. "I've been watching you, and I know that you're not as stupid and simple as you want people to believe. Do you know why I know that? Because I'm not a simpleton, either, yet even my grandmother doesn't see beyond what I want her to see. She doesn't see anything beyond my dear sister."   
  
The last was added as an afterthought, she was certain, muttered as it was under his breath. Though speculation ran high that Prince Calend'et and the Damiar Princess could not stand one another, this was the first true evidence Sarena had ever seen. She filed it away for later consideration . . . if she left here with enough of her dignity and poise in tact to warrant further consideration.   
  
"I'll be honest, your people are not the only ones who . . . dislike the arrangement between your prince and my sister." The prince stopped talking and turned to face her, his eyes shining deviously in the pale moonlight. "Now, I have proposition for you, and I don't think that you'll be so stupid as to turn it down."   
  
*** End of Chapter Thirty


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One   
  
  
The days preceding the wedding ran past in a blur. Ami soon discovered that she hardly had enough time to breathe, nonetheless being able to find the time to worry and fret about anything that would transpire after the true vows were exchanged. Marriage, even those not between blue bloods and royals, was considered a very important and sacred contract in both Albarasquan culture and in the eyes of the Temple of Damiaren. There were meditations and purifications, prayers and rituals that each had to be performed during the days before the final exchange of vows.   
  
All of her study of Amideira's diaries and notes had not prepared Ami for the ceremony that she suddenly found herself submerged in. She didn't even know that there were ten levels of meditation, each one taking the meditator to a higher level of purification. She quickly learned what herbs had to be burned during which purifications and which incense did not offend Damiaren during which prayers. And every night, she retired to bed, actually glad that she was one day closer to the wedding.   
  
Ami saw very little of Jade during this time, but didn't have adequate enough free time on her hands to truly miss the time spent with her friend. Nor did she have the time, energy, or privacy enough to talk to Adam and Megabyte telepathically; the upside of it all was that she also did not have the time to be annoyed and harassed by Calend'et or to be made to feel less than human by her mother. As far as trade-offs went, Ami thought that this one was not so bad.   
  
If she thought that she had been pampered and coddled before, she received a rude awakening in the form of the realization that the attention that had been paid to her before was nothing compared to the attention that was heaped on in preparation for what was quickly becoming the wedding of state. The day of the wedding itself, found Ami pulled from bed at before the sun even crested the horizon. Sephrine stumbled over herself in her efforts to explain that today, of all days, the Damiar Princess could not sleep in.   
  
Ami's grumbling that staying in bed until the sun was actually in the sky did not count as sleeping in, fell on deaf ears.   
  
The first ritual of the wedding day itself involved a scented bath for the princess. A scented bath in water that had been warmed at an even earlier hour than when Ami was dragged from her bedchamber and was only mildly warm by the time she settled into it. Nynie pushed off her complaints, stating that the bath was to invigorate her, not to lull her into sleep.   
  
As if she could have slept on the day of her wedding anyway.   
  
Her wedding day. The reality of it hit her as she attempted to eat breakfast. One moment, she was happily chewing and swallowing on warm bread and fruit, and the next moment Ami discovered that she could not eat another bite. A few words from Sephrine had reminded her of the importance of the day, a few words from the other woman, and a large nest of butterflies took up residence where Ami's stomach should have been.   
  
"Oh, do stop fretting child," Damiar Roleran patted her hand in an attempt to comfort her, "In a few hours it will all be over and you will be Stiborn's new princess and wife of the High Prince Adam Aldaric."   
  
Also known as Adam Newman.   
  
Ami gave up trying to finish her breakfast despite urgings from her grandmother, Nynie and Sephrine.   
  
Breakfast was followed by the most time-consuming ritual of all - preparing Damiar Princess Amideira Imak'tiq for the wedding ceremony. It wasn't simply a matter of putting her into a creamy white gown of damask and silk, embroidered in an array of holy symbols and the royal crest of Imak'tiq. No, the final preparations involved weaving colored ribbons in her hair while Nynie and Sephrine painted elaborate sigils and motifs on her hands and in feet in what had to be this world's equivalent of henna. These sigils and motifs were supposed to bring happiness, prosperity and fertility to a marriage.   
  
The final step was crowning Ami with her mark of state, before covering her in layers of veils. The fire diamond, called such because of the sparkle that seemed to flicker and glow in the very center of the jewel, suspended from a delicate silver chain, was placed upon her head. Once in place, the jewel rested against her forehead, glittering in the early morning light. Catching a brief glimpse of herself in the mirror, Ami was startled to see that she truly did look like a princess.   
  
No, not a princess. The Princess. The Damiar Princess of Albarasque and bride to the High Prince of Stiborn.   
  
As the final layers of the veil fell into place, obscuring her worldview into a white, gauzy haze, and she filed out of her bedchamber, acolytes and attendants surrounding her, Ami took a deep, calming breath. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, there was no turning back.   
  
***   
  
The twisting, turning fluttering in his stomach had a name. Adam realized that as he stood in his bedchamber being attended from all sides by stewards and servants. The racing of his heart and the sweating of his palms told him what the name of that fluttering was. The way he was detached and distracted, hopelessly lost when it came to any attempt to follow the conversation going around him.   
  
The name for it was nervousness.   
  
Adam Newman was nervous. Not the High Prince Adam Aldaric, because he wasn't really here, but Adam Newman was nervous. He was getting married today, and as much as he tried to remind himself that this wasn't his world, that these were just roles they played, the lines began to blur and he found it hard to truly believe those words. After all, he was here and Ami was here, and it was not their alter-egos that would be standing before the priest of Shira today, but them.   
  
Adam Newman and Ami Jackson.   
  
He called for another drink, tried to ignore the way his voice croaked, and quickly turned it down his throat.   
  
It didn't get rid of the nervousness, but it was something to do.   
  
"Are you nervous yet, cousin?"   
  
Adam handed the empty cup back to the steward, turning to glare at Hagen. The other man lounged lazily on the couch, a mug in one hand and a bit of fruit in the other, present during the final preparations despite Stewart and Master Ilarms' objections that the young lord would be a distraction.   
  
"If I satisfy your dying need to be absolutely correct in this, and say yes, will you stop driving me mad, Hagen?"   
  
Hagen shrugged, "That would depend. Do you intend to say yes and allow me a few moments to gloat and say 'I told you' so?"   
  
"I'm . . . a little nervous."   
  
"Aha!" Hagen jumped to his feet, his loud exclamation making Adam's heart skip and causing several servants to jump, and a few to yelp. Hagen laughed and waved wildly at Adam, unaware or uncaring of the effect his outburst had on anyone else present, "I knew it! I've been wondering when you would finally admit to having cold feet."   
  
[He's got a point, ya know. You do like to play things close to the vest, buddy.]   
  
Adam groaned. The last thing he needed was for Megabyte to throw his two cents in. It was bad enough that he had to take all this razzing from Hagen but Megabyte too...   
  
[Hey, just doing my job as your groomsman.] The mental snicker attached to those words made Adam sorely tempted for one moment to teleport... If only for the pleasure of wringing Megabyte's neck.   
  
[What's wrong, Megabyte, don't you have enough to worry about juggling Jade and Sarena around each other to be worried about me?] Adam snapped.   
  
Silence filled the connection, hurt fringing around the edges. [Low blow, Adam.] Megabyte replied quietly.   
  
Adam rubbed his eyes. [Yeah, you're right. I'm being an ass. I'm sorry. It's just...]   
  
[You're nervous?]   
  
[Not nervous precisely but...]   
  
[Nervous.] Megabyte repeated   
  
[Yeah, okay, I'm nervous. I don't see why everyone thinks that is so odd --]   
  
[Adam.] He could almost see Megabyte fixing him with a wry grin and a tilt of the head. [We'd all think it were odd if you weren't nervous.]   
  
[I don't know what it is,] Adam looked around the room, glad that this was one time that he could engage in a lengthy telepathic conversation without anyone becoming suspicious. Prolonged silences on the day of his wedding would be nothing out of the ordinary. [I just figured that I would do this once in my life, and this was not how I planned on doing it. I feel like ... I feel like this is a shotgun wedding.]   
  
[Not to bust your bubble, buddy, but this is kind of a shot-gun wedding,] he received a visual image of Megabyte shrugging and smiling sheepishly, [Not exactly what you wanted to hear was it?]   
  
[Not exactly.]   
  
[Well, if it's any comfort, it's not all that bad.]   
  
[Getting married?]   
  
Megabyte sent him a mental shrug, [Being married.]   
  
Adam felt his eyes widen at that revelation. [All right, who are you and where is Megabyte?]   
  
[Don't get the wrong idea, it's not what you think but ... I'm surviving. And if I can handle this, I know you can.]   
  
[Thank you, Megabyte.] Adam felt a surge of pride at his friend's unusual demonstration of insightfulness and empathy.   
  
[For what?]   
  
[For putting things into perspective.]   
  
[Whatever,] Megabyte snorted, [Just don't tell the squirt I said anything. I have a reputation to keep up.]   
  
*** End of Chapter Thirty-One


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two   
  
  
  
This was it.   
  
Adam had never really wondered or imagined what his wedding would be like. He simply didn't entertain those types of thoughts and fantasies. He was certain of one thing, however, and that was that he knew that had he imagined his wedding, it would not have been this. He would not have been standing on some strange world, before the altar of some strange deity, awaiting the arrival of his bride who was a priestess. And also a mage.   
  
And also his best friend, Ami.   
  
His best friend, who had the luxury of being hidden behind a thick and heavy veil. Every eye in the chapel was upon her from the moment the first bell chime sounded, but she at least showed no outward signs of nervousness. Of course, buried somewhere beneath damask and lace and silk, it was hard to know what Ami was showing signs of at all.   
  
It was not, however, hard to miss the anger and bitterness in the eyes of Prince Calend'et, the laughter in Hagen's or the pride and mixed anxiety that was shared by his father and mother. Given the choice of places to look, each offering something he did not want to focus on, feel, or be responsible for, Adam chose to direct his attention towards his bride.   
  
She was a figure dressed and draped in pure white and gold and silver, the elaborately embroidered hems of her gown sweeping the chapel floor, the veil and train streaking outwards behind her. He couldn't make out the slightest detail of her face, and in a moment of complete blind panic, he wondered if that was actually Ami. For all of his fears and fretting . . . well, he wasn't ready to go through with this with anyone else.   
  
Instinctively, he reached out for her, his mind finding hers. [Ami?]   
  
[Who else?] Her mental voice wavered, even though she managed to send him an image of her smiling.   
  
The ceremony began with a prayer, both he and Ami kneeling side by side before the priestess of Shira. The goddess of fertility and marriage gave first blessings to the marriage, and her blessings were seconded by the priest of Damiaren. The words and chants meant nothing to Adam, and his eyes were beginning to glaze in an attempt to make sense of any of it, when it came time to exchange the vows.   
  
Standing now, Ami's hands were placed in his, and feeling the coolness of them, feeling the way her body trembled ever so slightly, Adam realized for the first time that Ami was probably nearly as nervous -- if not more nervous than he was. He felt a momentary twinge of guilt, for being so wrapped up in himself that he forgot that this wasn't wholly about him, but it was about her as well.   
  
Though he could not see her for the veil she wore, Adam knew that when he turned and gazed down at her that she was meeting his gaze directly. He felt it through the touch of her trembling hands in his own, he felt it as she reached out mentally, trying to *soothe* him.   
  
In response, Adam tightened his hands around hers, repeating vows, that in spite of being on a different world, with different rules, were spoken with nearly the exact same meaning as vows exchanged on earth. Pledges of loyalty and fidelity, love and honor, meant the same no matter what church or religion the vows were exchanged in, and Adam was simply relieved that he made it through without stuttering too badly.   
  
"Til Hermion claims our souls."   
  
Another world, another translation, but the meaning remained the same.   
  
Til death do us part.   
  
The final words of their vow rang out with a note of finality in the elaborate chapel.   
  
He would have been surprised to see his hands trembling when he finally lifted them to lift the veil away from Ami's face had he not been aware of the constant edge and ebb of nervousness gnawing at him since before the ceremony began.   
  
He got caught only once, the intricate lacing of the headdress momentarily stumping him. So intent was he on unraveling it, that the court just beyond them was forgotten. A soft pair of hands fluttered up to help him with the layers, probably in some obscure breach of royal etiquette but they had come this far together, no one was likely to say much now. As Ami helped him unravel the threads, he thought she squeezed his hand for just the briefest of instants.   
  
Dark eyes like new moons rising sought his gaze, familiar lips twitching in a tentative smile. Adam felt an equally tentative smile cross his own face, an expression dipped in relief, relief that it really was Ami underneath all that lace and satin, a relief that he saw mirrored in her own eyes for different reasons.   
  
Adam hesitated a moment, knowing what came next, but waiting for some sign of permission from her. Permission which came when she closed her eyes, her face tilted upwards in invitation to seal their vows.   
  
Leaning in, he claimed his bride with a kiss. It was a kiss meant to be but the briefest of ceremonial touches, a ritual of the rite of marriage, but something passed between them as their lips touched -- understanding and acceptance, the knowledge that they were both in this together providing a type of sanctuary in which they both found momentary refuge. He moved towards her instinctively, or perhaps she moved closer to him, it was hard to know for certain, but what he did know was that they both lingered there a moment, the court and the temple forgotten until a cough and a tug on the back of his doublet reminded him of who he was ... and where he was.   
  
Separation brought him back to reality, and he gave her a shaky and somewhat embarrassed smile. [Sorry 'bout that.] He didn't know what he was apologizing for, but he felt that he had to say something.   
  
Ami caught his hand, an action that brought a raised eyebrow from Shira's priestess, but it was clear that Ami -- that his bride -- did not care in the least. [Don't be.]   
  
[You're really all right with this?] Adam asked, his eyes anxiously searching her dark ones.   
  
Her smile was bright, and did not quiver, her hand warm and soft as she squeezed his, [I am now.]   
  
***   
  
The wedding feast was a celebration like nothing Adam had yet had the pleasure of experiencing since their arrival in Stiborn. Nobles and lords, from the highest to the lowest, filled the great hall dressed in their finest upon their finest. He had not truly paid much attention to the lords and ladies of the High Houses present at the ceremony, his attention had been completely elsewhere at the time, but Adam noticed them now. He noticed how they each attempted to out shine one another, bestowing compliments and congratulations on the newlywed couple.   
  
Tables overflowed with food. The best of roast pheasant and game hens, the most tender of roast, the freshest of vegetables, and the richest of desserts spread out to be savored and devoured. And, according to Hagen, some of the sweetest and best wine in all of the kingdom as well. No expense was too great for this momentous occasion. To watch the celebration, it was easy to forget that once upon a time, the two kingdoms had been at war with one another; to watch the smiles and hear the words that were bestowed upon the Damiar Princess, was enough to instill the belief that this treaty would work to achieve its final ends - a lasting peace.   
  
Ami basked in the glow of all the attention she received. Initially, she had been embarrassed by it, hiding as much as she could from the appraising eyes of the Stibornan court, clinging to his arm as though the great hall were an ocean and he was a buoy that she might drown without. Her time in the Sun Palace, she had not been so much the center of attention, and even her arrival in Stiborn, where she spent much of the time sequestered at Elspera Keep, had not prepared her for this. But, as the hour wore on and it became apparent that the attention would not slack off, and she was convinced that Adam would not leave her to handle the well wishes of the court alone, she relaxed. She relaxed so much so that she finally moved away from his side, talking and sharing food with Tara, who seemed to be making her new sister-in-law into her new best friend, and Jade, and even occasionally engaging this lady or baroness in avid conversation.   
  
The Damia Reina and Prince Calend'et did not share their table, a fact of which made Adam extremely grateful. Despite the merriment and the meaning of this feast, the sovereign of Albarasque and her entourage remained at their own table, on a separate dais, their celebration their own. Only Damiar Roleran left that dais, coming to sit for a while with her grand daughter before her own attendants led her away to retire for the evening.   
  
"I say it again, cousin," Hagen returned from his wanderings among the nobility to take up a seat at the end of the table with Adam and Megabyte, "only you could have this sort of luck."   
  
"And what sort of luck are we talking about, Hagen?"   
  
The lord raised his mug in the direction of the end of the table occupied by the ladies, "My luck would be that she was such a carefully guarded secret because there are cows with prettier faces, but not yours. Your bride is certainly easy on the eyes, isn't she?"   
  
Adam sipped from his mug, knowing that it didn't really matter how he answered or what he answered. If Hagen had something to say, he would say it, no matter what Adam responded. "I suppose."   
  
"You suppose?" Hagen laughed. He reached out and rapped his knuckles lightly on Adam's forehead, his laughter becoming louder as Adam dodged and pushed him away. "What are you, addle brained now? You suppose? Are you trying to tell me you wouldn't have consummated this marriage right on the temple floor if I hadn't pulled you back?"   
  
Megabyte attempted to hide his laughter by shoving a large piece of bread in his mouth and it was all that Adam could do to prevent himself from choking on the wine. Sometimes, he wondered if Hagen thought before he spoke ... or if he said things like that simply to get a reaction. It was probably some combination of both.   
  
"I appreciate your intervention, Hagen, but I doubt that it would have come to that."   
  
[I don't know, Adam. You and Ami were getting pretty --]   
  
The kick to Megabyte's shin effectively stopped the other from saying whatever it was he intended to say. [Megabyte, just shut up.]   
  
"Then you are a far better man than I am, Adam."   
  
Megabyte snorted. "Now, there's a big secret."   
  
"Well, we've long known that he's a far better man than you are, Marmion."   
  
Adam set his mug down, loudly. "Can you two try to not ruin my wedding here, please?"   
  
Hagen rolled his eyes, "Someone's sensitive."   
  
"Nerves," Megabyte quipped.   
  
Adam shook his head and groaned, wondering why he even tried. He could never win if Megabyte and Hagen were in the same room together. If they were not baiting one another, then they were working in unison to embarrass, humiliate, or annoy him. Sometimes all three. Well, he supposed it was mildly comforting to know that no matter what happened, some things never did change.   
  
And some things did.   
  
Ignoring the teasing of his "cousins," Adam turned to the sound of laughter and giggles. Ami, Jade, Tara and one of Ami's attendants, had their heads together, eyes focused in his direction. As he looked at them, they all straightened and looked away, leaving Adam no doubt of who had been the subject of their smiles and giggles. It made him a little uncomfortable, his face warming although he had no idea what they had been speaking of.   
  
To look at things from Hagen's perspective, he was absolutely correct. Ami was, to quote Hagen's words, "easy on the eyes." It wasn't something that Adam had ever really consciously noticed before. Truth be told, it was one of those things that he probably wouldn't ever have noticed, except perhaps briefly and in passing, if they hadn't been forced into this situation. But they were here, the situation was here, and there was no way for him to deny that the young woman at the other end of the table, for all intents and purposes, was now his wife.   
  
His wife, Adam repeated the words to himself again and discovered that they neither sounded nor felt as foreign as he had expected.   
  
He was all right with that.   
  
*** End of Chapter Thirty-Two


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

Worlds Away   
By Michele Mason Bumbarger   
  
Chapter Thirty-Three   
  
Adam stood in the doorway leading onto the balcony and watched Ami. Unable to remain part of the celebration and festivities of the wedding feast all night, as much as they may have wanted to, they had been sent off, with flower petals and well wishes, to the privacy of their apartment. Not his bedchamber, because as of now, tonight, it was no longer his. As of tonight, he was to share the newly decorated and newly commissioned royal apartment with his wife. His wife, who stood on the balcony, quiet and still, a startling contrast to her earlier mirth and liveliness.   
  
Ami had wandered out onto the balcony shortly after they came up to their apartment, and she had not ventured back indoors since then. Noting the candle marks again, Adam realized that she had actually been out there for over half an hour. Over half an hour, saying and doing nothing. And most importantly, avoiding having any contact with him.   
  
No, that wasn't very fair and Adam knew it. Ami was not avoiding him; she was avoiding the situation with him, which came down very nearly to the same thing. Not that Adam cold blame her for that; he was no more comfortable with the situation than she was. As many times as he had thought about this night, had sent it spinning round and round in his head, Adam knew that there was truly no way for he and Ami to get out of this painfully awkward situation. This was no simple peasant marriage; this marriage was not only between the heirs of two powerful kingdoms, but the marriage was between the two kingdoms as well. And it would be consummated; if it was not, it would be seen as a terrible slight and the gods only knew what would happen then.   
  
Downstairs, surrounded by revelers and merry-makers, it had been easy for both of them to put this moment out of their minds. Upstairs, alone, without any music or friends or anything else to distract them, it weighed heavily upon them. Enough so that, Ami had all but teleported away when he accidentally touched her hand; enough so that she fled onto the balcony the moment the heavy oak door to the room closed behind them.   
  
So, he sat in the bridal chamber and stoked the fire, giving Ami the time and the space that she needed so desperately. He'd give her the next decade of time and space if he could, but unfortunately it was out of his hands. Barring another portal opening up and depositing them all right back on the beach where they started from, there was no way around this.   
  
He was Prince Adam Aldaric of Stiborn and she was the Damiar Princess Amideira. And this was their wedding night.   
  
Half an hour later, with the outside temperature dropping and a slightly cool wind blowing into the wind, Adam decided that allowing her space to adjust did not include permitting her to stand outside in her wedding gown until she caught pneumonia. It was still early spring, and the weather here was more brisk than that of England. He would at least coax her back inside, and then . . .   
  
Well, he would coax her back inside.   
  
She didn't even hear him step onto the balcony, or if she did, she gave no indication of such. Ami continued to lean forward, apparently not chilled by the brisk night wind in her layers of silk and velvet.   
  
Adam chose his words carefully, trying to keep the situation light. "Oh this is nice. Married less than a day and you already want to throw yourself off the balcony?"   
  
Ami rewarded him with a soft smile that told him that he had said the right thing. "No, not quite yet. I'm just enjoying the night air. I'd actually forgotten how nice it is to have some real breathing space. And some elbow room. I feel like I've spent the past three days in a sardine can.   
  
"Do you know this is the first time in days that I've been able to turn around without finding out that Nynie is looking over my shoulder?"   
  
Adam laughed softly, able to identify with her words. It had been hard for him to get any breathing space as well as the day of the wedding drew nearer. If he was not being attended to by one butler, then it was another. Not to mention the endless drills and schooling from Master Ilarms to be certain that the prince did not embarrass himself or the kingdom on the day of the wedding. More than once in the past week he had actually found himself appreciating Hagen's crude humor and dry wit.   
  
Ami didn't even have that respite. All of her attendants came from the ranks of priestesses and acolytes, who spent the majority of their lives behind cloister walls and had little use for foreigners - particularly the foreign men of Stiborn. She'd even been denied Jade's company these past few days - Adam had heard Jade lament about it often enough - left with only Nynie who took her duty as an honor maid quite seriously.   
  
"Well," Adam folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the balcony wall, "For some peculiar reason social etiquette bans ladies-in-waiting from the bridal chamber on the wedding night."   
  
If his first words had been the right words, his latter words were wrong in every sense. Ami's face fell immediately and she turned away from him, the color draining from her yet again.   
  
"Right," she whispered softly into the night.   
  
Any other time, any other place and under any other circumstances, Adam might have found his ego to be a bit bruised by her reaction. But he knew that her reaction wasn't personal; she wasn't reacting to him, but rather to the situation that they were in. A situation that was only growing more awkward by the moment, and one that would never be resolved if they didn't do something to banish the growing tension between them.   
  
Adam wondered what the real prince would do, if he had been there now. Would he have been worried about the nervousness and awkwardness of his new bride? Or would he simply have 'jumped to' with no questions asked because it was expected of him? Adam could almost hear Hagen making more than a few crude remarks somewhere in the back of his brain, and he pushed them aside.   
  
He couldn't do that to himself. Most importantly, he couldn't do that to Ami.   
  
Adam clapped his hands together, startling Ami out of whatever thoughts she was losing herself within. Blowing on his hands for a bit of warmth allowed him to see his breath condense on the air in front of him, and that meant it was cold enough. "Aren't you cold?"   
  
"Not really," Ami shook her head, and then promptly shivered as the wind blew past them.   
  
"Liar," Adam accused. "Come on, let's go inside. Where it's warm. We can talk by the fire, all right?"   
  
"I like it out here," Ami insisted.   
  
"You'll like it a lot less when you catch pneumonia," Adam chastised her. He took her gently by the shoulders, propelling her indoors, relieved when she didn't put up a fight or offer any resistance or argument. "And you know, I really don't want to spend the next few weeks feeding you weak broth."   
  
Again, she gave a small, albeit somewhat strained laugh. "You wouldn't have to. Nynie and Sephrine would take care of me. That's what ladies-in-waiting do."   
  
Adam steered her towards the sitting room sofa, doing his best to keep his attention - and hers - distracted from the bedroom area of the bridal chamber. "I've always wondered about that."   
  
"About what?"   
  
"Ladies-in-waiting. What are they waiting for anyway?"   
  
Ami blinked at him in surprise. "I can't believe you just said that."   
  
"What?" Adam asked, "Megabyte has a monopoly on using bad jokes to break the tension?"   
  
"No, but," Ami paused, settling back against the sofa and straightened the layers of her wedding dress, "That was considerably worse than a lot of Megabyte's jokes."   
  
"Everyone's a critic." Giving her a last - and what he hoped was reassuring - smile, Adam crossed the room and closed the double wooden doors that led to the balcony.   
  
"So," Ami spoke quietly, her words barely audible over the pop and hiss of the fire in the hearth and the resounding thud of the balcony doors closing, "this is it."   
  
Adam paused, his hands still on the doors. Her less than subtle approach revived that curious fluttering, twisting ball of anxiety that he had led himself to believe he had banished and beaten into submission during the wedding feast. The way his heart skipped, and the manner in which he was forced to take several deep breaths, showed him just how foolish and misplaced that notion was. "Yeah, this is it."   
  
"It's nice."   
  
Nice?   
  
With a confused frown, Adam turned to look at her and quickly felt his cheeks warm as he realized that Ami's words had not referred to the topic that he had assumed. Instead, she moved around the room, touching tapestries and furnishings, the smile on her face reminding him of a kid at Christmastime.   
  
"Nice?" Adam repeated the question aloud.   
  
She nodded, lifting a heavy quilt to her face and rubbing it against her cheek. "It's very nice. And this is all ours, right?"   
  
"Yes, it's all ours but . . . " Adam paused, surprised at how easily the words fell from his tongue. His mind had no problems reconciling Ami as his wife; but, looking down at the thick braided gold and silver band on his right hand, he realized that he was left with little choice other than reconciliation after the ceremony today.   
  
"But what?" Wrapped in one of the fur lined cloaks that was evidently meant as a wedding gift for the new bride, Ami prompted him to continue.   
  
"But I don't think my mother would be very pleased to hear you describe this place as 'nice.' A lot of time, effort, work and ... yelling ... went into this. Somehow, I think that it warrants a little more than 'nice.' " Adam shook his head and laughed softly as she tugged the hood of the cloak over her head, burying herself within the depths. "What are you doing?"   
  
Ami straightened her shoulders, her head held high with the royal poise and dignity that seemed so fitting on tonight. "I'm enjoying our gifts."   
  
"You're like a kid in a candy store, aren't you?"   
  
"Maybe," she sniffed condescendingly, and held the elitist pose for all of a few seconds before a wide grin broke out across her face. "Oh, come on, Adam. Look at all this stuff. I mean, what on earth are we going to do with five . . . six ... seven different cloaks, and how many meters of silk do I need for a few dresses?"   
  
"You're a princess." Adam crossed to her, playfully tugging at the ties which held the cloak closed. "You can have as many dresses and cloaks as you want."   
  
"I forget that sometimes." With a sigh, Ami pulled the hood back from her head, shaking it slightly. "I haven't gotten used to his whole royalty-princess thing. I'm not like you."   
  
"Like me?" Adam lifted an eyebrow inquisitively. "You think that I've gotten used to - any of this?" He punctuated his words with a wave of his arm, indicating not just the bridal chamber, and more gifts than the High Prince and Damiar Princess could ever figure out what do with, but the entire Lion Palace as well.   
  
"You have." Suddenly serious, Ami sank to the sofa and began untying the cloak. "We may have only been here two months, but - you're adapting. You've adapted. You're not just playing a role anymore, Adam. You're the prince."   
  
"And I think that you had too much wine at the wedding feast."   
  
"I'm serious, Adam." She busied herself folding the cloak and putting it aside before raising her dark eyes to look at him again. "You have this air about you now. You carry yourself . . . like royalty. You look the part. I mean, you really look the part.   
  
"When I look in the mirror, and I see all this finery and this silly fire diamond," Ami touched the bluish-white stone that set on her forehead, held in place by a finely crafted silver chain, "I see a girl who is all dressed up and playing make-believe. It's like I'm getting ready for a role in a play or to act on television. It's not me. But it is you. It's becoming you more and more.   
  
"And it fits. It looks good on you, Adam."   
  
"Ami," Adam licked his lips, searching for the right words. For some reason, her words unsettled him. He didn't want her to think - he didn't want any of them to think - that he had changed. That he wasn't still Adam Newman.   
  
"We don't," Ami spoke up, smiling apologetically as she responded to his unspoken thoughts. "You are still our Adam, but you're Prince Adam too. You're both of them, and that's all right. I rather like both of them."   
  
Adam considered her words for a moment, not quite certain how to respond. Or even if he should respond at all. He didn't see it - what she claimed that she and the others saw; to him, he was still Adam Newman. Yes, he was more comfortable in the persona he had been given, over the past two months he'd grown more comfortable with his role and status, but that didn't mean that he let go of his roots or past or who he was. He understood what Ami said when she spoke of looking in a mirror and playing make-believe; he still felt that way sometimes. Just not as often as he had in the beginning.   
  
Maybe there was some truth to her words after all, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about too hard or for too long.   
  
Yet, on the other hand, the same could be said for her as well. Adam had the opportunity to observe Ami quite intently tonight. If she was as uncomfortable in her role as she claimed, then she did not show it. She carried herself like the princess that she was supposed to be, full of power and pride and an almost childlike sort of haughtiness that could only have come from being a spoiled and pampered princess.   
  
Sometimes, the persona was so strong with her, that Adam could swear that he could see two images overlapping. One was the Ami Jackson he had always known, shy and kind and bold as brass when needed. Ami of a million braids and a smile that was the sun coming out from the clouds. Ami who radiated vulnerability, arousing his protective instincts even when she was brave. His best friend. The other...   
  
The other he could only name Amideira. In that ghostly image he saw a girl tempered in her own abilities, supremely confident of herself and her place. Amideira was more mysterious, more cagey than Ami. Power thrummed out of her and around her, creating ripples of in his vision. Amideira was confident because she knew that no one in their right mind would attack a mage of her skill. Or so she hoped. There was nothing of his Ami in that arching smile and mildly bored set of the head...except in those eyes. There was something there...Some spark that echoed something he had glimpsed in Ami.   
  
More and more of late, that ghostly image had become less transparent, the two women slowly merging. Adam wondered how long it would be until she--until all of them, became so consumed by the identities they had assumed for themselves that there would no longer be anyway to separate Ami from Amideira. And what really panicked him was the growing feeling in the back of his head that whispered, would it really be such a bad thing? There were worse destinies to be born into than that of a prince.   
  
Adam shuddered. He had no wish to think on this tonight but with Ami's and Amideira's eyes staring at him curiously, it was impossible to ignore. Impossible to ignore, and he wondered if that was what she saw when she looked at him? When she told him that he was Prince Adam.   
  
"Adam?" The feathery light touch of her hand on his, pulled him from his wandering thoughts. [Adam?]   
  
He shook his head to clear away the lingering thoughts and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking."   
  
"I know. You were a million miles away. Share?"   
  
"I was just thinking that it looks good on you too," Adam wound his fingers through a handful of braids, giving her a smile, "Your Highness."   
  
"Don't start," Ami averted her gaze, and tried to free the one hand he still held onto, but Adam refused to relinquish his hold.   
  
"I didn't start, you did." Adam raised her hand to his lips and brushed a light kiss across her knuckles, "I'm finishing it."   
  
Whatever objections or comments she would have made, whatever words would have been exchanged between them, whether playful or serious, all died the moment her gaze returned to his. In that moment, all was startling clarity. Without a single word passing between them, they both acknowledged the truth of their situation, of what they were dancing around and trying hard to avoid.   
  
"Ami--"   
  
She pressed her fingers to his lips, forcing him into silence. "Do you have any regrets?"   
  
"Regrets?"   
  
"If ... if we never go home again, if this is it, Adam, if you're stuck with me forever . . . do you have any regrets?"   
  
He didn't answer her immediately, but neither did he worry about his silence offending her. Adam knew from the earnest pleading in her dark eyes, that she wanted nothing more from him than the truth and he owed her nothing less than that. So, he held her hand for a moment, looking inside of himself for answers. Did he have any regrets? Could he spend the rest of his life married to his best friend, married to the beautiful woman sitting beside him, waiting on his answer?   
  
"I think that I'd have to feel stuck before I could regret anything," Adam told her gently, pressing a soft kiss to her fingertips, "And I really don't feel stuck."   
  
"Me neither." Then she leaned forwards, her mouth pressing against his . . . and it was the beginning of everything.   
  
*** End of Chapter Thirty-Three


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

Worlds Away   
By Michele Mason Bumbarger   
  
Chapter Thirty-Four   
  
And the party continued.   
  
Jade noted that even after the bride and groom had been nearly chased from the wedding feast, the revelry continued. Not that Lady Jadina minded in the least; she was having more fun than she ever thought that she could or would have in this time and place. After receiving her prerequisite dance from her *husband,* he was more than happy to grant permission to any noble who desired a chance to sweep across the dance floor with the Lady Jadina in his arms.   
  
Jadina, she discovered, was quite popular. Her alter-ego had a fair number of suitors, all of whom had been lined up and ready to lay down their hearts and their homes to be married to the daughter of Lord and Lady Zentil; but her fate had not been her own to chose and she had been given in marriage to Marmion Ruele. Not a slight by any stretch of the imagination, when only two Houses in the Kingdom stood higher than House Ruele, one of those being the royal House of Liagora, a compliment certainly that Jadina of Zentil could win a place among the higher Houses. But with that prestige and honor came sacrifice - the sacrifice of being married to a man who wanted nothing to do with her.   
  
She was more fortunate than Jadina in some respects. Megabyte dealt with her, and was even willing to be friends with her, which was more than her counterpart, had ever had. And although he had balked at dancing with her, on each occasion that he had been forced to do it, she never got the feeling that his dislike was aimed at *her.* Rather, from what Jade could see, Megabyte avoiding dancing as much as possible when he had anything to say about it. Of course, he hadn't been able to say no to Her Majesty or Princess Tara, but beyond that, he remained firmly planted in his seat, laughing and joking with Lord Hagen - whenever Lord Hagen was not occupied with the wooing of some pretty noble's daughter or another.   
  
As her current dance partner, Lord Triscan, a boy no older than she was, but a boy who was already the lord and master of his father's lands and keep, having inherited it all when sudden illness struck his father dead, returned her to her table, Jade tried hard to focus politely on his parting words and to not stare at Lord Hagen. Not the easiest task to accomplish considering that Hagen was the type of man who seemed to demand that the eyes focus on him and nothing else.   
  
"He's too pretty to do any woman any good," had been Lady Margot's description and dismal of him. "He's a good man to have beside His Highness, but he'll never make any woman happy beyond what can be accomplished when the sun sets."   
  
To show how entrenched she was becoming in this world, Lady Margot's words had made Jade blush.   
  
Still, the knowledge, and the fact that she was *technically* married didn't divert Jade's attention from the man whenever he was present. But she wasn't alone in that; conversation stopped, or dropped to whispers among the women servants when Hagen made an entrance, and he'd even managed to get a touch of pink into Lady Margot's cheeks. He was a dangerous charmer, but as a married woman, Jade was in no danger.   
  
Unfortunately.   
  
"Again, I thank you for the honor and the pleasure, Lady Jadina," Lord Triscan bowed to her, raising her hand to his lips. A gesture that Jade would have found endearing, and one that would have put a proper blush into her cheeks at any other time and place. However, right now, she only longed to sit down, catch her breath, and . . . take delight in Lord Hagen's company. However much he might never do any woman any good, the man had a way about him that made her feel -- noticed.   
  
"I thank you, Lord Triscan," Jade curtsied slightly, giving the young Lord a smile, "And I do wish you the best of luck with your wine crop this season."   
  
"It will be fine, I have been assured. I will have to send a casket to Elspera Keep, with my compliments and my good wishes." Lord Triscan turned to include Megabyte in his bow, "Thank you, Lord Marmion. Your wife's company is refreshing."   
  
Megabyte inclined his head towards Lord Triscan, "It's a pleasure I am . . ." there was a momentary pause while Megabyte glanced over at her, the briefest of pauses but one that did not go unnoticed by Jade, "I am reminded of everyday, Lord Triscan."   
  
[Thanks, Marm.]   
  
[What?] The touch on her mind was light and full of innocence.   
  
She chose not to answer him and instead settled back into her seat, carefully arranging her layers of skirts and petticoats around her. As she did so, Lord Hagen leaned forward, a teasing smile turning up the corners of his lips. "I daresay there is a bit of a flush to your cheeks, my lady. One would think that you are having too much fun."   
  
Jade reached for her wine cup, heat crawling up her neck to her face. Her fingers trembled slightly as she wrapped them around the cup, and took a few sips before answering, "Is there such a thing as too much fun, my lord Hagen? Isn't this a wedding feast, and aren't we supposed to be celebrating?"   
  
"You mistake my words, dear cousin. I do not mean to complain or accuse. Red in your cheeks and a smile on your face are quite lovely, and," Hagen paused, his eyes cutting towards Megabyte, but only briefly, "missed."   
  
"Well, there has been little to celebrate before now," Jade reminded him, then raised her cup to her lips to take another drink.   
  
"That is where you are wrong. Sometimes, one must not wait for a reason to celebrate, but must make your own reasons for celebration."   
  
"Hagen," Megabyte looked at the man over the rim of his cup, "don't corrupt my wife."   
  
"Someone has to, seeing as how you have clearly been lax in your duties."   
  
Jade choked and coughed, the hidden meaning and double-entendre in Hagen's words not as lost on her as the other man perhaps had hoped they would be. The wine cup barely made it onto the table as she covered her mouth and pounded a fist against her chest in an effort to get a hold of herself.   
  
Her choking and coughing attack drew attention, and both Megabyte and Hagen descended on her, doing little more than getting in the way and being a nuisance until the coughing fit was under control.   
  
"I'm all right now," Jade accepted the cup that Hagen pressed into her hand and took a deep breath, "I shall try drinking my wine the next time and not inhaling it."   
  
"And Hagen will try to mind his tongue." Although Hagen had returned to his seat, Megabyte remained by her side, much to her surprise. Even more surprising was the feeling of his hand behind her, rubbing small circles in her back.   
  
"My deepest apologies for anything that I might have said that gave offense to my lady Jadina," Hagen gave her the deepest nod that he could while seated, "Sometimes, I do speak without thought."   
  
"Only sometimes?" Megabyte asked.   
  
"Don't be so quick to throw stones, cousin. I think that we both know how quickly your tongue moves without regard to the words being said."   
  
"And I think --"   
  
[He's baiting you, Marm, just let it go,] Jade 'pathed frantically at Megabyte taking note of the slow, mischievous glean building in Hagen's eyes, the noble's mouth quirking slightly. She gripped Megabyte by the arm for emphasis, her spoken words meant for both men, "I thought we were celebrating? I'll be disappointed if either of you ruins the mood."   
  
A wide, and blindingly handsome smile broke out across Hagen's face. "I fear you have caught me. I should hate myself if I were to be responsible for banishing the mirth from your eyes."   
  
[Oh, God,] Megabyte 'pathed at her, his voice heavy with disgust, [He's laying it on thick and *you're* married.]   
  
[I think he's charming,] Jade shot back, feeling her own smile widen and a bit more pink crawl into her cheeks. "Well, I shouldn't want to be responsible for you hating yourself."   
  
[I don't believe you,] The soft, comforting touches on her back ceased as Megabyte withdrew and slid back into his seat. He reached for the wine flask and began refilling his own cup, [I can't believe you're encouraging him.]   
  
[Jealous?]   
  
[Of Hagen? Not likely.]   
  
"My lady, it is too late," Hagen took her hand in his, "for you see, you frowned but for a minute and I am already drowning in guilt." Hagen raised her hand to his lips, clearly intending to place a kiss on the back of it. The impediment to his good intentions was Megabyte's hand, placed over the top of Jade's as he pulled hers from Hagen's grasp.   
  
"Weren't you going to ask the Baroness Bachody to dance, cousin? She appears unattached at the moment, and it seems she can not stop from staring in this direction," Megabyte kept Jade's hand firmly in his, despite her sharp tug to free it, "You should act swiftly lest you lose your opportunity."   
  
Hagen's head swiveled around briefly before his attention returned to them. "And so it seems that you are correct." He stood and bowed slightly to them both, excusing himself, his last words called over his shoulder, "It might do you well to think upon your own advice cousin."   
  
Jade glared at him, and gave another futile attempt to free her hand. "No, you're not jealous at all. And you can let go of my hand now."   
  
He surprised her for the second time that night by not doing as she requested. "Once upon a time you would have liked me holding your hand."   
  
"You weren't a buffoon back then."   
  
"But, my dear Jadina," Megabyte placed his other hand beneath hers, capturing her hand securely between both of his, "according to you, I've always been a buffoon." With that, he lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to her knuckles for a lingering moment.   
  
Only her sense of decorum and etiquette stopped her from jerking her hand away and checking his forehead for a fever. She did, however lean forward, peering intently at him, [Are you drunk?]   
  
A glimmer shone in those clear blue eyes, a familiar glimmer, although it was one that Jade didn't ever recall having been privy to in all the time she had known Megabyte. It was that teasing glimmer of mischief and teasing that he usually only felt comfortable enough to share with Adam or, on the rarest of occasions, Ami. The sort of comfortable teasing he never lapsed into with her for fear of giving her the 'wrong idea' or encouraging her feelings for him.   
  
If she doubted for even a moment that her eyes were deceiving her, the doubt was banished as a crooked smile that mirrored the playfulness in his eyes broke out across his face. [Not by a long shot. It will take a lot more than dinner wine to get me drunk,] Megabyte winked at her, [Besides, if I got drunk you might decide to take advantage of the situation and find yourself another husband.]   
  
While Hagen's innocent words and flirtations had caused her to blush like a proper born lady of her station should, Megabyte's behavior created an entirely different reaction. A tiny ball of pure buzzing energy that she did not want to dare put a name to, knotted itself in her stomach and sat there. It didn't sit passively however; as her heart sped up a bit and her throat became far too dry, it unknotted and re-knotted itself repeatedly.   
  
Jade fumbled for her wine cup with her free hand, noticing that Megabyte still held her other one prisoner and apparently had no interest in giving it parole anytime soon. She drank a few swallows of wine hurriedly, and not trusting herself to speak, 'pathed to him instead, [Would that be a bad thing? It would give you the chance to find another wife.]   
  
[Yes, but I would have to put up with all her bad habits when I'm just beginning to get used to yours,] Megabyte sent back, the words laced with the familiar warmth and camaraderie of friendship, but also underscored by affection, not romantic affection, but certainly something stronger than anything Jade had ever imagined her fellow Tomorrow Person feeling towards her.   
  
[I don't have any bad habits,] Jade rose to his bait instinctively, and immediately gave herself a mental cuff. This was not the time to fall back into petty squabbling with Megabyte, not when she was so very close of being able to see past what he projected, to see a very different side of him . . . which meant he would be able to see past what she projected as well.   
  
Out of habitual response and repeated embarrassment more than anything else, Jade moved her mental shields in place. Megabyte's eyebrows raised at the action, and Jade wasn't sure which part of what happened next made her face scald crimson. Whether it was the knowledge that Megabyte was aware that she was blocking him, or if it was his actual closeness and the way his breath warmed against her cheek as he leaned forward and whispered, "Dear Jade, you talk in your sleep."   
  
The words and his very closeness caused her to blush even more, and she would have believed that impossible.   
  
"I do not!" Jade whispered back at him fiercely. "And besides you ... you snore!"   
  
Megabyte laughed, falling back in his seat, "There you see, why would I want to go through all the trouble of getting a new wife when I already have you . . . broken in?"   
  
"Oh, so now I'm nothing better than a ... well-bred horse?" Her hands, both of them, were free now, and she used one to shove him playfully away from her, and startling herself by her response to his words. Once, she would have been hurt and offended by them, but tonight, she could see -- tonight she could *feel* Megabyte's playfulness and good humor and she was rather enjoying it. Even if it had taken sheer overwhelming doses of attention from nearly every single male in attendance to get to that point.   
  
"Please," Megabyte rolled his eyes and caught her hand in his again as she shoved at him, "A horse wouldn't be as difficult as you are, Jade."   
  
"Well, if I'm so difficult, remind me again why you would prefer to keep me, even as broken in as I am, when there are so many other less difficult women out there?"   
  
"Because, I don't think any of them would be as cute as you are when you blush." Jade's eyes widened at the compliment - a true compliment! - from Megabyte and she was positive that her heart skipped several beats. She considered herself lucky that it did not stop beating all together. But before she could even find the words to respond, or even convince herself that it had really happened, Megabyte was on his feet and gently tugging her to hers as well. [I'm tired of sitting, let's dance.]   
  
"But ... but ... you don't like to dance," Jade allowed herself to be hoisted to her feet, her mind still trying to come to terms with the words Megabyte had said -- to her!   
  
"I'm turning over a new leaf," he held firmly to her hand and guided her into the moving mass of dancers, "and, like I said, I'm tired of just sitting."   
  
[People are staring at us.] Jade felt the eyes on them as they took their places among the dancers. She could feel the ripples of shock and surprise moving like wildfire through the crowd, Lord Marmion dancing with his wife twice in one evening was certainly unprecedented, and the fact that he appeared to be enjoying her company was simply unbelievable.   
  
[So?] Megabyte 'pathed back at her with a wide grin. [You've already said that it's rumored that I've taken leave of my senses.]   
  
[I don't think it's a rumor any more,] Jade informed him.   
  
Her words made him grin more widely. [My lady wounds me.]   
  
[Wounded?] Jade raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against his forehead, [Where? In your impossibly thick skull?]   
  
[Maybe.] Megabyte punctuated the word by grasping the offending hand and turning it palm upwards, planted a kiss there. A formality, and nothing scandalous, certainly, but it did earn a few gasps of surprise from those around them -- and from Jade as well. That was more than a polite kiss, more than a simple gentlemanly behavior of a lord towards a lady. No, that spoke of a sense of closeness and a sense of propriety that . . . that they did not share.   
  
Until now.   
  
Jade offered no resistance as he tugged her closer, unable to take her eyes off of him. She couldn't help but notice for the first time that evening how well his sapphire doublet complimented his lean, muscled form and matched his eyes. The way his mouth grooved at the corners when he smiled. How gentle the touch of his hand against hers was and how reassuring. All the little things that mattered. It was as if...   
  
As if she were falling in love with him all over again.   
  
Unfair, she thought, seized by the sudden desire to jerk away from him and into the hiding embrace of one of the alcoves. Unfair that this was happening all over again. This was something she was trying so hard to put behind her, even though their 'marriage' made it neigh impossible. But she had convinced herself that her feelings were changing, that she was changing and adapting. She had convinced herself that her childhood crush was a thing of the past, but now, she wondered if it ever would be.   
  
[Jade?] Even his telepathic voice rang with concern   
  
[Do you really want to dance . . . with me?] She hoped she didn't sound half as desperate and confused as she felt.   
  
[I thought we had this conversation already,] An arm slipped firmly around her waist, Megabyte pulled her as close to his body as was permitted without creating court scandal. [Can't we just dance and enjoy ourselves?]   
  
The music picked up in tempo and she was forced to move with him, following his lead, or else be left standing idle in the middle of the dance floor.   
  
[Do I have a choice?] Jade countered and hoped that her words came out as sarcastic and playful enough that he wouldn't press the issue.   
  
[No,] Megabyte grinned down at her, [You don't.]   
  
Jade returned his smile easily, once again packing away the confused pieces parts and bits of her emotions. Her full attention turned itself to the dance, hoping that she could manage the trickier parts and not mess it up as she always seemed prone to do.   
  
This time, however, her feet remained loyal and steadfast, and she had no problems following the intricacies and complexities of the dance. Her body moved as though it recalled the steps from memory, and despite his early protestations, Megabyte was not the most terrible of dance partners. He was, in fact, quite a good dance partner.   
  
They danced several sets, and then, as the party wound itself down, Jade found herself walking through the Palace gardens with him, her hand tucked into the crook of his arm.   
  
"That was fun," Jade remarked, her soft words sounding loud to her ears in the night stillness.   
  
"Yeah, I guess it was."   
  
"Do you think that Adam and Ami had fun? I mean," Jade stopped, feeling a raging fire burning in her face as her thoughts turned to her two absent friends and why they were absent, "You know, before. At the wedding feast, do you think ... do you think that they're going to be able to deal with it ... well, not *it* as in *it,* but --"   
  
Megabyte gave her hand a firm squeeze, stopping her embarrassed babble before it could get any worse or any more embarrassing. "I don't think that there's anything yet that Adam and Ami haven't been able to deal with. Besides, if you can put up with me, I think that anything's possible. At least until we get home."   
  
[As husbands go, you're not so bad,] Jade told him, really meaning the words. Whatever else had happened between them in the past, and however much he refused to see her as any more than a kid, Megabyte had come through for her during their time here. Separated from Adam, who was always their shelter in the storm, Megabyte reassured and comforted her; Megabyte let her know that she wasn't alone and that they would weather whatever came their way, and that they would do it together.   
  
Their marriage may have been in name only, but at least now they had a friendship, a true, real friendship that was solidly based on something other than the luck of them both being Tomorrow People.   
  
If she took nothing else back home with her, Jade would at least be grateful for that.   
  
If they ever made it home again at all.   
  
[We will,] Megabyte responded to her unspoken thoughts, and she couldn't even find the strength to get annoyed with him for peeking. He was doing his best to be supporting and comforting, being the pillar that he had been since their arrival.   
  
"But if we don't?" Jade stopped and turned her face up to him. "If we honestly don't ever make it back to earth, then what? Can you handle this -" Jade threw her hands out, referring to not only the Palace gardens, but the entire world, "for the rest of your life?"   
  
"Hmm, let me think." Megabyte folded his arms across his chest, his face a study in concentration as he pretended to ponder her words very hard. "Let me think. Can I handle being a noble and lord for the rest of my life? Hmm . . . yeah, I don't think I have any problems with that."   
  
"You aren't going to be serious about this, are you?" Jade accused.   
  
"No," he took her hand in his, pulling her into step alongside him as he resumed their walk. "It's been too good of a day, I'm not going to start thinking bad thoughts, and I'm not going to let you do it, either, Kiddo.   
  
"But if worse comes to worse and we're stuck here, then . . . I don't mind so much being stuck with you, Jade."   
  
Her head whipped around to stare at him in surprise, his words following a litany of a long line of surprises he'd been giving her all night. She swallowed, not sure how to respond to that, or if she even should.   
  
Megabyte, however, continued, taking the opportunity away from her. "Of course, I'll plan on taking a mistress." He gave her a quick glance, that all too familiar mischievous grin on his lips matching the twinkle in his eyes.   
  
Jade smiled in return, taking the compliment for what it worth and grateful for it. "Well, that's fine then. I think that one of the stable boys is really cute."   
  
"Oh, really? Well, no one ever said that you get to have an affair. That's a privilege reserved for the lord of the keep."   
  
"Then I'll just have to start a women's movement. We'll turn this whole society matriarchal."   
  
"I'll move north then -"   
  
They continued on, their playful banter echoing through the gardens, hands entwined, a perfectly natural camaraderie between them.   
  
*** Chapter Thirty-Four


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Five   
  
"I found it! I think I really found it!"   
  
Ami's delighted squeal grabbed Adam by the heart and yanked him rudely from the almost drowsing sleep that he was fading into. He came back to reality suddenly, his heart leaping into his throat and attempting to claw its way out of his mouth, while his lungs battered against his ribcage in a furious attempt to explode.   
  
From the sound of Megabyte's grumbling, it was clear to see that he was not the only one startled by Ami's exclamation.   
  
"Well, whatever it is, try to be a little more quiet about it," Megabyte snapped. Plumfruit juice dribbled down his chin and colored his doublet in various large patches, which he dabbed anxiously at with a handkerchief. "Geesh, Ami, what's your problem anyway?"   
  
"Yeah, Ami, you scared me half to death," Jade chastised. Evidently, her dress also suffered victimization from Megabyte's spilled goblet, and she was frantically dabbing at the bright purple spots that were slowly seeping into the ivory silk and lace. And not only into expensive material of Jade's dress, but also into the coarse quilts and blankets that spread around them, beginning to creep a determined path towards the loaf of sweet bread. "This dress is ruined."   
  
Ami rolled her eyes, a move so characteristically Ami that Adam couldn't help but smile, despite the fact that his heart still felt like it was going to explode and he hadn't quite caught his breath yet. There had been times during the past few days since the wedding - and the wedding night - that he wasn't precisely sure where things stood between them. She was his wife; that much his mind accepted without argument or question. She was still his best friend, that too could not be argued. But the rest of it - the rest of it remained a bit touch and go. Sometimes, he looked at her, and was still touched by the phantom mirage of Princess Amideira; sometimes he looked at himself and saw his own phantom mirages; and sometimes, they weren't phantoms at all. Sometimes, what he saw and what he felt, what he thought he knew and remembered, felt very, very real - and those were the times when he had to snap himself to attention and remind himself of who he really was.   
  
Which was precisely the purpose of this picnic today. It had taken some, and some here was used as a euphemism for a great deal, of begging and pleading and cajoling for this picnic to be private, between just the four of them. King Martine and Queen Carrina had not liked it, Stewart put up more of an argument than he had about anything the entire Adam had been here, and Sephrine, not Nynie, but Sephrine acted as though he had just suggested that they desecrate a few temples. But, in a hard fought and barely won fight, here they were, alone with just themselves for company. A time to relax and wind down, alone and unsupervised where they didn't have to mind their words and manners, a few stolen hours before the newly married prince and princess were sent off to "grow accustomed to one another" in the Summer Palace located on the southern coast of Stiborn.   
  
Alone and enjoying a relaxing afternoon until Ami shattered the tranquility with her shrieks.   
  
"You can get another dress made at the drop of a hat, Jade," Ami pointed out, dismissing the dress issue with a wave of her hand. She shook the slim leather bound tome that she had been reading for most of the day, most of the week really, at them. "I found our way home."   
  
"In that skinny little book?" Megabyte made no attempt to hide his disbelief.   
  
Adam however, perked up at her words. He knew more of what that slim little book was - it wasn't just a book - it was one of Amideira's secret diaries, one where she wrote down the things she tried and learned that she didn't want Nynie or any other Damiar of the Temple to learn about. Adam wasn't particularly happy with her reading that book, fearful that in an effort to educate herself she might try some of Amideira's 'talents' and end up hurting herself - or worse.   
  
"Amideira's diary," Adam corrected.   
  
Those words were enough to banish even Megabyte's scowl and Jade momentarily stopped wiping at her ruined dress, curious blue eyes turning to Ami.   
  
"A spell?" Jade asked breathlessly, as though she dared not believe it was possible.   
  
"Not exactly."   
  
Megabyte's eyebrows rose, "Not exactly a spell?"   
  
The center of their attention now, Ami averted her eyes, lowering the book to her lap. She fingered the spine absently, nervously drawing her lip between her teeth and chewing on it before she spoke. "It's more of ... not so much a spell as a way to use the magic to manipulate time and space."   
  
"Already sounding way more freaky than I like, Ami."   
  
"It has to do with keystones and portal ways. If you get these keystones and use them on the portal ways, they can open doorways ... to other places. If you're focused, and you know where you want to go, supposedly you can get there. At least, that's how it works in theory."   
  
"In theory? Well, that's great in theory, Ami, but I'd like if my body parts weren't spread across the galaxy by fact."   
  
"Megabyte," Adam chastised him, "Let her finish."   
  
Adam ignored the questioning look thrown in his direction from the other Tomorrow Person, and prepared himself for whatever inevitable teasing he would receive later for coming to Ami's defense. After the time Adam had spent teasing Megabyte about his marital status with Jade, his fellow Tomorrow Person was happy to return the ribbing tenfold. The only problem was, Adam didn't take offense to it in the way that Megabyte hoped; in fact, the teasing seldom bothered him at all.   
  
[Thank you,] Ami accompanied the soft telepathic touch with a demure smile, that for whatever reason made Adam's face flush with heat. She averted her eyes, nervously tugging on one of her braids as she continued. "It's based on the same elements as 'The Dreaming.' The Dreaming uses a keystone to help a person reach out and ... contact someone else, somewhere else, in a dream. Except in The Dreaming it's much more small scale."   
  
Megabyte did nothing to hide his skepticism. "And how do you even know that this Dreaming thing works?"   
  
"Because I've done it." Ami didn't look at Adam at all, only Megabyte as she met the challenge in his gaze. "I did it when I contacted Adam."   
  
"Huh? You contacted Adam?"   
  
"When did you do that?"   
  
Adam, in turn said nothing. He knew precisely what Ami was speaking of, recalling the time that she had somehow, someway reached out to him via their dreams. He had always intended to ask her how she did that, although a sneaking suspicion wiggled its way around in the back of his head, but things got so hectic so quickly that he never followed up on it. Now, he wished that he had.   
  
"The Dreaming. I contacted Adam in a dream - a while back." Ami dismissed the topic with another one of those lofty waves of her hand, "Anyway, that's not the important point. What's important is that -"   
  
"You used some kind of magic that you know absolutely nothing about to get in touch with Adam?" Megabyte scoffed, the scolding and disapproval in his voice reminding Adam that Megabyte wasn't as uninvolved and uninterested as he often pretended to be. The blue eyes swung to Adam with accusation, "You *let* her do that?"   
  
"Adam didn't *let* me do anything, Megabyte. And anyway -"   
  
"You could have hurt yourself," Jade tried to sound disappointed, but couldn't manage to hide the note of awe in her voice. Adam groaned inwardly. Keeping Ami away from potentially dangerous magic that she didn't understand, comprehend, or control was going to be difficult enough; keeping both girls out of temptation's sway would be an even greater chore.   
  
"But I didn't."   
  
Adam spoke up, "But you could have."   
  
"But. I. Didn't." Dark eyes flashed defiantly.   
  
"Look, guys, I appreciate that you two are going to have a 'talk' about this, and as entertaining as that might be to watch, could we please get back to the important stuff here," Megabyte drummed his fingers, glancing between Adam and Ami will ill-concealed impatience.   
  
"Fine with me," Ami pointedly kept her eyes on the redhead.   
  
[You're not getting off that easily, Ami.] Adam 'pathed to her in what he hoped was an ominous tone.   
  
[I look forward to it.]   
  
"Could you two please put your pissing contest aside for the moment," Megabyte rolled his eyes. "Please?"   
  
"Megabyte!"   
  
"Marm!" Voices cascading over one another, both Ami and Jade sounded scandalized   
  
"And what would you call it?" Megabyte retorted. "Yeah, Ami, we know you've got rank. You don't have to pull it on us.   
  
He shifted his gaze to Adam. "And neither do you."   
  
Adam opened his jaw, then snapped it shut. Arguing among themselves wasn't going to solve anything, and they were far off track of whatever Ami had been trying to draw their attention to. No matter how much that remark about pulling rank smarted, now was not the time to let this escalate any further. "I hate to say this, but Megabyte is right -" Adam ignored the glare Megabyte shot in his direction, "we're off track. What did you find that you think can get us home, Ami?"   
  
"Keystones can be activated over portals, the same way that their activated for The Dreaming. And I know I can do it, because I've done it before."   
  
"Wow, that's really great, Ami, but," Jade smoothed her skirt, "How do we find one of these Portals?"   
  
"I don't know," Ami admitted with a sigh. "There are rumors and legends, but no one knows precisely what one looks like, so they don't know exactly where to find one."   
  
"Oh, that's real good," Megabyte muttered.   
  
"But," Ami continued as though she hadn't been interrupted. "The Temple of Damiaren at Dia'sol has records of this sort of thing, they have records of all sorts of magic that's supposed to be protected. Supposedly, there's an active one, somewhere in Albarasque."   
  
Jade piqued at the words. "So, we have to go to Albarasque? That's not so bad. I mean, you're a princess and everything so -" She stopped, realizing that six eyes rested on her. "What?"   
  
"It's not going to be that easy, Jade," Adam shook his head sadly. Ami's words were good news, they gave them direction that they didn't have before this, but a trip to Albarasque would require some planning. And, Adam imagined, access to privilege materials at the Temple of Damiaren would be difficult to come by, even for the Damiar Princess of Albarasque. "We can't just pick up and go to Albarasque."   
  
"Well, duh, not right away. But, you can do a state visit, right? I mean, that would be completely expected and proper, wouldn't it?"   
  
"She's right," Ami agreed. "According to my grandmother, we'll have to make a proper visit in the future anyway. Of course we can't make any plans until after we come back form the Summer Palace, but it's not such an impossibility is it, Adam?"   
  
Adam looked from one girl to the other and smiled. "Well, when you put it like that? What am I supposed to say?"   
  
"You're going to be at the Summer Palace ... all summer," Megabyte pointed out.   
  
"Megabyte," Ami squared her shoulders. "We've already been here for two months. What's another few months of waiting? It will give me some extra time to research."   
  
"Research? Is that what you're calling it now?" Megabyte scoffed. "I call it experimentation, and I'm still not completely convinced you won't turn us all inside out."   
  
"No, I'll plan on turning you into a frog first."   
  
"You probably can't even catch a frog with magic, I doubt you can turn anybody into anything . . ."   
  
With a shake of his head and smile, Adam laid back and closed his eyes. The familiar rise and fall of teasing, banter and debate between Ami and Megabyte was music to his ears. And whatever his own personal doubts about Ami's discoveries, and their ability to follow through on it, it was more hope than they had a few weeks, a few days or a few hours ago.   
  
They would get home . . . eventually.   
  
Three months wasn't so long to wait.   
  
*** End ***   
  
Yes, there will be a sequel. I can't guarantee when, but there is definitely a sequel in the works.


End file.
